It is way better when milk is not mixed with eggs, but the bread slices are firstly dipped into milk and then in the eggs mixture. It's crispy and simply wonderfull!

Instead of day old bread I use Texas toast. It is much thicker and absorbs the batter in pretty much the same way as day old bread. My recipe is pretty plain Jane. All I mix together is egg, milk and vanilla.

The French name for this dish is "pain perdue" which literally means "lost bread". It was originally a way of using up stale bread that was going to be thrown away, so that's why you have to use stale bread. Gotta love French cuisine.

French Toast is one of my all time favorite comfort foods! It's what my mom always used to make for me on Saturday mornings. I love to prepare it using challah. I feel like whipping some up right now!

You're absolutely right -- orange zest makes french toast delicious. I love to use challah bread, a sweet bread common in Jewish culture.

Mmmmmm.... a wonderful breakfast, about the only good reason I have for pure maple syrup, and with bacon or sausage on the side. I've never known to try a crustier or staler bread, which would explain why mine was always mushy in the center. I've got to try that, along with the vanilla idea. I've not done the icing sugar, but I guess that would turn it into more of a dessert idea, with a fruit compote beside it. Does anyone have any ideas of how to make "stuffed french toast"?

This recipe sounds really good. I honestly can say I don't think I have made French Toast with thicker bread. I think next time I make it I will try it this way.

I think my recipe for french toast came from misreading a recipe when I was younger. It's completely different, but it makes the best french toast ever. Soak disks of baguette in a mixture of milk, sugar, vanilla and ground nutmeg, then coat in whisked egg before frying. They end up with a texture something like a toasted marshmallow. Hmm. Gotta go to the shops for bread...

This looks simply scrumptious!! I love french toast, and it's hard to find a good recipe. I might try this tomorrow morning and see what my kids think. It looks so good!

Around the holidays I'll switch out the milk for eggnog and add a bit of fresh grated nutmeg. Even store bought eggnog gives a good twist on french toast.

Brilliant! I love the idea of eggnog french toast. ~Elise

One cannot in any way lay fault upon this recipe.
My wife (like most people) would love this marvelously unpretentious breakfast dish even with the added cinnamon and maple syrup.
One caviat: I would prefer this same French creation without the sweets...simply with fresh butter and a light salting...at least to me that would be a breakfast fit for royalty, or for that matter, a French peasant who had both bread and eggs but was unlikely to stock cinnamon or maple syrup in her poor pantry.

No milk unless you use heavy cream. Better with just eggs. My grandson told me when he was about 6 years old to cook the french toast in a waffle iron. He said it was better like that & you had holes for the syrup. I don't use syrup but lots of butter & then powdered sugar. I have made it that way since, he is now 34 years old. My husband liked the idea of holes for the syrup,he also added powdered sugar & sometimes cinnamon sugar.
I like to use thick slice sour dough bread.

I can't remember what I wrote in the initial comment...:) but I am sure it had something to do with liking french toast. I haven't made any in a really long time, but reading this I might just have to give it a go soon!

I love the idea about the triple sec, I had been doing mine with buttermilk, orange juice, and the zest. I also love almond with the extract and crusted in slivered almonds. I just had a thought coconut extract and coconut rum!

If you want a special treat, try making your egg mixture with ice cream. Rum Raisin is a favorite. Allow to melt, then whisk in 1 or 2 eggs and 1t vanilla. Dip some thick slices of Challah or Cinnamon bread. Melt some butter (about 1T) in a heavy skillet. Brown on medium heat. Top with berries and dust with powdered sugar. YUMM.

My brother makes great french toast. Not sure about his egg / milk mix but what he does do is top them with butter, fresh lemon juice and powdered sugar (same as we do on dutch babies). Occasionally he will take the extra step and push blueberries into the toast after it's soaked, just after he puts them in the pan. Fabulous.

Adding few teaspoons of ginger in addition to the cinnamon makes it much tastier! As usual, the more spices, the better!

I TRY to make mine a little lower in fat and cholesterol - I just use the egg whites, some nonfat evaporated milk (for a little richness, instead of just plain milk), vanilla, and some freshly grated nutmeg! I use the pan spray, instead of the butter that I love so much..... When someone really close to you has a stroke, it kind of makes you rethink your diet a little......But I will definitely have to try the orange idea - sounds yummy.

I like to add a little bit of vanilla to the egg mixture. Yum

Absolutely delicious. The "orange" gave the recipe a delicious acid balance with respect to the syrup.

Ok....omg, yummmmm....I have never tried using challah bread, but I LOVE challah bread, so I have to try it this way next time! And I don't put the cinnamon in the mixture, because some of us don't like cinnamon....I just sprinkle it on the slices for people who want it :-)

I didn't know there was such a thing as a "recipe" for french toast, much less, different ways to make it, until I stopped being a little kid! My mom always, always, always just used Texas Toast to make our french toast. And there was always cinnamon and vanilla in it. It was never mushy, and always delicious :)
I'll have to give the orange zest a shot, sounds fantastic!

Here it's cinnamon/nutmeg/sugar/vanilla and after cooking buttered and sprinkled with powdered sugar

Maybe you´ll think me crazy, but actually I make mine a sandwich. Use your favorite type of ham and cheese in between 2 or more french toasts. And if you are daring enough try pouring some honey on top of that. Enjoy!

I made my first ever batch of french toast using this recipe, but not mixing the milk with the eggs and cinnamon. I served it up to my grandmother (who is a food guru) and my brother, and they absolutely loved it!

We also tried slathering it a bit with the toffee used for Banoffee Pie (since my grandma likes to keep them in stock in our fridge), and it was great. :) Will try adding vanilla to the egg mixture in the future.

I always add a little Cardamom to my egg mixture

PS. @Latin Flavors -- You have made a Monte Cristo Sandwich . . . one of my favorites (try raspberry jam as a topper)

I like to put cream cheese in between the bread pinch the edges then use your favorite egg mixture

I loved this recipe! It was so yummy :) I added pecans to the maple syrup....so if you love nuts I would try it because it was delicious!