bonjour, toast!

Café au Lait Pain Perdu
Perfumed with sweetened espresso and baked to an eggy, custardy consistency, this take on French toast is one of those magical dishes that work just as well for dessert as they do for breakfast.

yield: Makes 6 servings
active time: 10 min
total time: 45 min

12 (1-inch-thick) baguette slices (cut on a long diagonal)
3 tablespoons instant-espresso powder
2 tablespoons hot water
3 cups whole milk
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
Cinnamon for dusting
Accompaniment: whipped cream

Preparation
Preheat oven to 400°F with rack in middle and generously butter a 13- by 9-inch shallow baking dish or pan (3-quart; preferably glass or ceramic).
Arrange bread in 1 layer in baking dish. Dissolve espresso powder in hot water in a large bowl. Whisk in milk, eggs, vanilla, and 1/2 cup sugar until smooth.
Pour custard over bread, then turn slices over several times so they soak up as much custard as possible. Sprinkle top with remaining 2 tablespoons sugar.
Bake until puffed and set, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool in dish on a rack 10 minutes, then dust with cinnamon.



Almost Fat Free French Toast

(This recipe yields 1 serving)
2 slices bread (honey wheat works really well - but any bread will do)
1 tbsp milk
1 egg white
1/4 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp cinnamon
dash nutmeg
dash cloves

Stir everything together in a flat dish (not the bread!). Soak bread for about 2 minutes on each side. Fry on griddle (using non-stick spray) until nicely browned on both sides, about 4-5 minutes.