Nothing says ‘Saturday morning’ better than french toast. The orange mascarpone cuts perfectly through the thick, eggy brioche and you can flavour the figs with your favourite honey – rose, vanilla and ginger all work well.
Serves 2
Ingredients
125ml mascarpone
2 tbsp single cream
½ tsp grated orange zest, plus extra to serve
1 tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice
4 ripe figs, cut in half lengthways
clear honey, to drizzle
100g whole almonds
2 eggs
100ml milk
¼ tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tbsp caster sugar
2–4 thick slices of brioche
unsalted butter, for frying
icing sugar, for dusting
You’ll also need:
2 baking sheets, greased and lined with baking parchment
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas 4.
Mix the mascarpone with the cream, orange zest and juice in a small mixing bowl. Cover and set aside or in the fridge until you are ready to serve.
Place the figs, cut-side up, on one of the prepared baking sheets. Drizzle with honey and roast in the preheated oven for 15–20 minutes until soft and caramelized.
Remove from the oven and set aside until you are ready to serve.
Meanwhile, scatter the almonds on the other baking sheet and bake in the same oven for 8–10 minutes until lightly golden.
Remove from the oven, cool completely then roughly chop.
To make the french toast, whisk together the eggs with the milk in a large mixing bowl. Add the vanilla and caster sugar, and whisk again.
Transfer to a shallow dish and set aside.
Melt a little butter in a large frying pan set over a medium heat.
Dip each slice of brioche in the egg mixture one at a time. Let the slices soak up the egg mixture for a few seconds, then turn over to coat the other side.
Place the egg-soaked brioche slices in the hot pan and cook until golden on the bottom.
Turn over and cook for a few minutes longer until each side is golden.
Transfer to a clean baking sheet and put in the still-warm oven to keep warm while you cook the remaining slices.
Cook the remaining toasts in the same way, adding a little more butter to the pan each time, if required.
To serve, cut the brioche in half diagonally. Overlap the triangles on the plate and top with the honey roast figs, orange mascarpone and toasted almonds.
Sprinkle with a little extra orange zest and dust with icing sugar.
From Surf-Side Eating: Relaxed Recipes Inspired By Coastal Living by Ryland Peters & Small (£16.99, Ryland Peters & Small), out now
Dining and Cooking