Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• pinch of salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp allspice
• 6 thick slices of day old French bread
• 3 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• powdered sugar - optional

Instructions

Step 1

This simple milk and egg custard is the secret to a great pain perdu recipe. In a large mixing bowl whisk together the eggs, milk, salt, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and allspice.

Step 2

Slice the bread into thick slices, at least 1-inch thick and add to the egg mixture. I used a beautiful whole-grain French loaf, but any French or Italian loaf should work nicely. Slicing at a slight angle will make for a longer piece of bread.

Step 3

Toss the slices until all the mixture has been absorbed into the bread. Depending on how stale the bread is this may take from 5 to 10 minutes. The secret to this recipe is to completely saturate the bread.

This is also why thick slices of stale bread is used as thinner fresh bread would fall apart.

Step 4

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a large non-stick skillet, over medium heat, very lightly brown the slices in the butter and oil for about 2 minutes per side. Don't cook too dark as most of the browning will occur in the oven as the French toast bakes.

Step 5

Transfer to a baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees F. for 10 minutes.

Step 6

After 10 minutes remove, turn over and put back in the oven for another 5 minutes to brown the other side.

Step 7

After 10 minutes on one side and 5 on the other the custard should be cooked on the inside, and the French toast will be crisp on the outside. If it looks like it needs more time cook it longer, but be careful not to cooked very dark as the egg custard may become bitter.

Step 8

Traditionally pain perdu is served with powdered sugar sprinkled over the top. I didn't do that here, but if you want it to look like it would in the French Quarter then dust away and dig in!