Challah at ya girl

Barring a loaf of day-old brioche (like I have those just laying around), challah really does make the best French toast ever. And it can be purchased every Friday, giving you the very best fodder for an epic Saturday French toast and mimosas brunch.

Challah French toast
Serves 2 or 3

3 eggs
2/3 c heavy cream
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (my special mix, of course)
1 tsp vanilla extract (I use my own homemade bourbon vanilla)
scant pinch kosher salt
6 1" thick slices of day-old challah (I used poppyseed)
butter for frying
real maple syrup and powdered sugar, or maybe some good fruit preserves or sommat

Beat together the eggs, cream, sugar, spice, vanilla and salt. Dip the sliced challah on both sides into the mixture and leave it there for a spell. Letting the challah soak in the custard for 10-15 minutes makes the end result taste just like freshly-fried donuts, and the interior will take on a rich creme brulee-like bread pudding consistency.

Heat a frying pan to medium heat. Melt in a pat of butter and let 'er rip (that means go ahead and start cooking the French toast). Flip when smelling gorgeous and fry on other side for maybe 30 seconds. Do the rest of them the same way. I fit two to a pan and have to do batches.

As always, this is lovely with strong coffee and sausages, but we didn't have any sausages this week and had to settle for just coffee. One day I'll be able to eat a food drizzled with maple syrup and not demand sausages, but today is not that day.