The Ultimate Toddler French Toast
Description
How many french toast recipes does a dad really need (if any at all)?, you may ask yourself. Easy answer: a really good one is always welcome. This is that. Drawing inspo from the french toast you’d find in a Hong Kong diner, here we hit all those toddler dopamine notes: sweet, creamy, peanut buttery, kind of fried-y. All it needs is a cute name for you and your kiddo to call it and you–and it–are set for the better part of your child’s young life.
One note before we dive in: this recipe does require a bit more time to come together than your usual non-recipe french toast. But it’s not much more time, nor effort–and it’s no less easy to pull off. Still, you may want to reserve a weekend breakfast or brunch for the first time you make this; it’s not a recipe that’s always compatible with a rush-out-the-door to school or camp kind of morning. That’s in part because the process is tailor-made for child participation: short of the oven and stove steps, they should be able to assist, if not lead, most of the prep. And everything is better when made together.
Ingredients
Instructions
Prep
- Preheat (toaster) oven to 200. Place bread slices on baking pan and cook until dried out and crisp but not toasted, roughly 8-10 minutes if thick, or 4-5 minutes if slices are thin. Remove from oven.
- While bread cooks and/or cools, beat eggs with sugar and a pinch of salt in a flat container until blended; add milk and blend until mixed, making sure sugar isn't clumping to bottom.
- Spread peanut butter all over one side of four pieces of bread. Place an un-peanut-buttered slice of bread on top of each of the peanut-buttered ones; gently press to adhere to make sandwiches.
- Add sandwiches to the container and allow to soak in the batter for at least one minute a side (if using thin bread, flip after 30 seconds). Shake off any excess batter drip before cooking.
Cook and Assemble
- Fill a skillet with enough oil to create a thin pool across the entire base of the pan; heat the pan to Medium.
- Once oil is shimmering, place the sandwiches into the pan and cook until golden brown all over, roughly 2-3 minutes a side. Remove from heat.
- Allow to rest for 2-3 minutes before slicing, then slice and allow another few minutes or so for steam to escape.
Serve
It’s customary in Hong Kong to serve this topped with a pat of butter and/or a drizzle of condensed milk; neither is really needed, nor is maple syrup (unless your kiddo can’t have french toast without it). Given the richness of the french toast, we keep the rest of the plate light: just some berries or orange slices to tag along.
Adapt
You can turn this into a monte cristo or croque monsieur sandwich easily by swapping the peanut butter for mayo on one side of bread, ham and/or turkey, sliced cheese, and mustard on the other slice; dip in batter and cook the same way as described in the recipe.
