Photo by Gwénaël Le Vot
Serves 3–6
Mulled pears
3 pears, peeled, cored and quartered
2 tablespoons lemon juice
½ gallon apple juice
2 strips lemon peel
1 cinnamon stick
4 cloves
½-inch slice of fresh ginger, peeled
French toast
4 eggs
1 cup buttermilk or half-and-half
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon orange zest
½ teaspoon cardamom or cinnamon
1 teaspoon almond extract
Pinch of kosher salt
1 loaf day-old or stale bread, sliced in 1-inch slices
Butter for the griddle/pan
Powdered sugar
Whipped cream
In a medium bowl, place pears and lemon juice; toss to combine, to prevent pears from turning brown. In a Dutch oven or large pan over medium-low heat, add apple juice, lemon peel, cinnamon stick, cloves and ginger, and bring to a simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and let sit for 15 minutes to allow flavors to meld. Return pan to medium-low heat, and add pears; cook 30 minutes, until pears are tender but still maintaining their shape. Remove pears from liquid, and let cool.
In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, buttermilk, sugar, orange zest, cardamom, almond extract and salt. Pour into a shallow dish wide enough for a slice of bread. Dip bread slices in the mixture, covering both sides, and place on a flat dish or pan in a single layer. Let stand for 15 minutes, until egg mixture is absorbed into bread.
Preheat oven to 250 F. Heat griddle or skillet over medium heat, and melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Working in batches, add 2–3 slices of bread to griddle, and cook until brown on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Place on a baking sheet, and keep warm in oven. Repeat until all slices are cooked.
Transfer to serving plates, and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Top with pears, and garnish with whipped cream.