Bananas Foster French Toast with Blistered Cherries & Bacon

In my opinion the keys to doing great French Toast relies on ta couple of important factors:

1. The quality of the bread you are using. For this recipe I used Honey White from the amazing Breadsmith Baking Company. They are based in Ohio but have outlets all over the Midwest and other areas, check their website for a location near you.

2. The egg batter. I think I got a pretty good one down below.

If you nail these two things then BAM! you got it. By the way, warm homemade caramel sauce is out of this dang world too!

Here’s what you will need.

Bananas Foster French Toast with Blistered Cherries & Bacon

Ingredients:

• 6 slices of Sliced Honey Wheat bread
• 1 banana
• 10 – 12 Maraschino cherries
• 1 egg, beaten well
• 1 3/4 cup of whole milk
• 1/2 cup 34 % heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon + 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1/3 ground nutmeg
• 1/4 ground cloves
• 1/4 Sea salt
• 1 stick of unsalted sweet cream butter
• caramel sauce (store bought or homemade)
• olive oil
• thick cut bacon

Directions:

Note. Make the thick cut bacon ahead of time, placing crispy slices on paper towel to absorb the excess grease. Set aside. The blistered cherries can be make ahead of time as well.

1. In a large bowl combine whole milk, heavy cream,
   2. in a separate bowl combine brown sugar, sugar, pure vanilla extract and an egg, mix well then add to milk mixture.
2. Add cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt and continue to mix. Pour mixture in a long casserole dish. Set aside
3. Over medium heat place a large cast iron skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of butter and a 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil.
4. Dip 2 slices of bread into the French toast batter making sure both sides are well covered and place in skillet. Brown on both sides. Remove, add more butter and olive oil if you like (I always like to). Repeat steps until you have reached French toast making capacity.
5. In a separate skillet add a tablespoon of butter and several cherries, heat should be on medium high. Add a teaspoon of sugar. Allow cherries to blister and score them with char marks. Remove cherries and place them on a saucer. Set aside.
6. Slice a banana lengthwise and place 2-3 slices on top of French toast. 
7. Pour a generous amount of caramel sauce over French toast, add slices of bacon plus cherries and dust with enough powdered sugar until your eyes scream, “UNCLE!”
8. Serve baby serve!

Durand Worthey is the co-pilot flying their family plane (metaphor) to both charted and mostly uncharted territory. Along with his wonderful wife (Tatanisha R. Pitts-Worthey) he helps keep their blogs, A Mitten Full of Savings and A Worthey Read aloft. In his spare time …wait he has no spare time, but he’s not complaining. He’s got it all. A lovely companion, awesome kids, a passion for cooking and a Boston Terrier named Goku. Life is better than good..