Bank Holiday Boozy Brunch: Whisky Maple French Toast

Well hello there Bank Holiday! Oh how I love you so...

In my house, a three day weekend means two rather important things. Firstly, we don’t have to worry if we’ve accidentally opened that other bottle of wine because there’s no work tomorrow (yey!), and secondly, a luxurious leisurely brunch is in order – probably to aid recovery.

If you mention anything to do with breakfast or brunch, my ears instantly prick up; it’s fast becoming my favourite time to go out and eat, mainly because it requires places to be a bit more creative in what morning treats they offer. Deciding to save those well earned pennies, and quite frankly because I don’t want to wear anything other than my PJs right now, I’ve opted for a fancy brunch at home.

Whilst a Bloody Mary would be my usual choice to go with brunch, I’ve decided my booze would be better suited in an edible form; tomato juice is way too healthy for Bank Holiday debauchery anyway. So here we have it, on the menu today, Whisky Maple French Toast.

It’s no secret that whisky and syrupy sweetness go hand in hand - they’re pretty much bezzie mates - add some cinnamon to the equation, along with some custard and a couple of slices of brioche, and hey presto! THE BEST BRUNCH EVER. Definitely not the best for the diet though.. Sod it.

I used Laphroaig Quarter Cask in the recipe – don’t tell my chap that I raided his stash – and it’s peatiness really added an extra dimension to the whole thing. Smoky maple goodness.. Yum! Use whatever you have to hand though, a dark or spiced rum would definitely work here too if you’re not a whisky fan.

Making French toast with brioche is extravagant enough, but by making a delicious custard as opposed to just a couple of beaten eggs, this is a deluxe dish. Don’t worry about those two leftover egg whites you’ll have either, we’ve got it covered; check out these snazzy cocktail recipes!

I tried to add a bit of health to the scenario by throwing on a handful of raspberries. Their sharpness seemed to balance everything out, but as an alternative - and to please our carnivorous side - I reckon a couple of rashers of crispy salty bacon would be frickin’ awesome too.

Ok, that’s enough from me, you need to go and make this recipe NOW.

Whisky Maple French Toast (Serves 2)

You'll need: 

• 4 thick slices of brioche 
• 125ml milk 
• 1 tbsp creme fraiche 
• 1 tsp vanilla extract 
• 1 tsp cinnamon 
• 1 tbsp whisky
• 1/4 tsp salt 
• 40g sugar 
• 2 egg yolks 
• 1 egg 
• For the syrup: 50ml maple syrup + 15ml whisky
• Raspberries (optional)

Method:

1. In a small saucepan, combine the milk, creme fraiche, vanilla, cinnamon and whisky. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat. 
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together salt, sugar, egg yolks, and egg. Whisk this mixture pretty vigorously for about 5 minutes until pale and creamy. 
3. Remove your milk mixture from the heat, set aside for a minute to cool slightly. Whisk a small amount in to your eggs, a little at a time, until you’ve added about half of the milk mixture. Don't rush or you'll end up with scrambled eggs. Add the remainder of the hot liquid and whisk until combined. 
4. Return the egg and milk mixture to your saucepan and put it back on the hob over low heat. Keep it there, stirring frequently, until it has thickened a bit and will coat the back of a spoon - roughly 5 minutes. Remove the custard from the heat. 
5. At this point, mix up the syrup. Simply measure out the maple syrup, add in the whisky, and stir until combined - easy!
6. Dip the brioche slices into the custard and soak for about 30 seconds on each side. When the slices have been evenly coated with the custard, place them on a preheated frying pan and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side, until golden brown. 
7. Top with fresh raspberries, pour drizzle over plenty of the whisky maple syrup and serve.. preferably with a strong coffee. 

Adapted from Life As A Strawberry blog recipe.