Whether serving French toast for Christmas or other Special Holidays this recipe will warm hearts and tummies. Apple Walnut Challah Bread is sliced and dipped into egg and milk batter seasoned with fresh ginger and orange zest. Other ingredients include ground cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and tiny bit of honey. Make this recipe ahead the night before the big breakfast for ease, keep in refrigerator.
Challah Bread for French Toast
You can use any kind of thick bread for dipping, but this recipe, Apple Walnut Honey Challah bread is delicious. Braided as a round loaf the individual dough rolls or logs are filled with diced apples, chopped toasted walnuts, ground cinnamon and nutmeg. After baked to a golden color, the bread is ready to slice and dip for French Toast.
How to Make this Recipe
In a large bowl, add 4 large eggs, milk, orange zest, fresh grated ginger, honey and vanilla. Whisk to blend together, set aside while you slice the bread. I like to slice the bread into 1/2″ slices as the bread being dipped needs to be somewhat thick for grilling. Ginger and orange zest really makes this recipe delicious.
Next step is dipping the bread slices in the bowl. Because my slices where long, I cut them half for easier dipping in egg batter. Let the bread soak it all up about 3-5 minutes or before the bread wants to fall apart. You don’t want the bread to fall apart.
Heat your griddle to medium high heat and lightly spray with cooking spray. If you want to bake these slices you can. Heat oven to 350, lightly spray baking sheet with cooking spray and bake 10-15 minutes or until lightly browned, turning toast over at 7 minutes.
To serve the French Toast, I opted for a round large board filled with bacon, scrambled eggs, butter, cranberry or cherry jam ( for Christmas), apple slices, grapes, and maple syrup. Sprinkle toast with confectioners sugar if desired.
To keep the french toast warm while all pieces are grilled, place grilled toast in oven at 250 degrees. Prepare bacon if cooked in microwave after grilling toast, and scrambled eggs last minute. While grilling your toast, heat maple syrup in saucepan.
In addition, instead of syrup… make ginger-orange whipped cream! OH MY goodness!!! We liked the toast with confectioners sugar and the whipped cream. It wasn’t too sweet and sooo good. Make the whipped cream before grilling toast and chill in refrigerator until ready to serve.
For a festive look fresh rosemary sprigs line the top of the dinner plate with whole cranberries.
To order one of these boards go here.
I love this board, it is oak and seems to have a lazy susan effect for it swirls without have exposed bearings. It isn’t heavy and has a great rim around the edge to keep food from sliding off. It is maple. Love it!
Recipe for Apple Challah Bread French Toast
PrintApple Challah Bread French Toast
Apple Walnut Challah Bread is sliced and soaked in ginger orange egg mixture, grilled and served with ginger orange whipped cream or maple syrup.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 3-5 minutes per slice
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 servings 2lb round loaf 1x
- Category: Bread
- Method: Griddle/stovetop
- Cuisine: French
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup milk or half n half
- 1 orange zest
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 loaf Challah bread
- 1 teaspoon butter and cooking spray for griddle/skillet
Ginger Orange Whipped Cream
1 cup heavy whipping cream
4 tablespoons confectioners sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla or creme bouquet
1 orange zest
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
Garnish: Fresh rosemary sprigs and cranberries for Christmas Plate decor
Instructions
- In large glass mixing bowl, whip eggs, honey, milk, vanilla, salt, orange and ginger until blended.
- Slice challah bread into 1/2″ slices, dip slices in egg mixture. Let bread soak 3-5 minutes coating each side of bread.
- Preheat griddle pan or skillet on medium high heat, lightly spray with cooking spray and add 1 teaspoon butter. Might need more on griddle.
- Place dipped bread onto griddle/skillet. Toast 3-5 minutes per side. Remove from griddle and place in glass baking dish to keep warm.
- Place in 250 degree oven while grilling remaining bread slices.
- When ready to serve, plate and dust with confectioners sugar, serve with maple syrup and Ginger Orange Whipped Cream. Grate additional orange and ginger zest for garnish.
- Decorate plate with fresh rosemary sprigs/cranberries if desired.
Making Ginger Orange Whipped Cream
In small mixing bowl, whip 1 cup of heavy whipping cream with wire whisk attachment. Add confectioner’s sugar, and vanilla. Whip on high speed until medium peaks are formed. Gently fold in grated orange and ginger. Reserve half of the ginger-orange zest for garnish.
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Pecan Coffee Cake
