French Toast with Brown Sugar - Cinnamon Bananas

Now that we are back home, and more importantly, have been grocery shopping, it's time to hit the kitchen again.  I decided to make a really rich breakfast to get things started off right.  I often will gravitate toward savory egg-based breakfasts; but I also really love French Toast.

You will start by getting a dredging station going with some eggs, milk, vanilla extract, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

I also sliced up some bananas and started to caramelize them in butter with cinnamon and a little brown sugar.

The brown sugar & cinnamon add a nice sweet flavor to the bananas.  But cooking them releases the natural sugars in the fruit and will really enhance the flavor.  I love the combination.

Heat another non-stick pan over medium heat and melt some butter. Then dredge the bread through your egg mixture to make sure it is soaked in through the slices.  This will impart a lot of flavor into your French Toast; and it will also help to keep it moist.  Then cook them for about 3-4 minutes per side until they are golden brown.

I like to have a baking sheet in the oven at about 275 degrees so I can keep the first batch warm while the second one is cooking.  Then you will need some real maple syrup.  My wife is very adamant about that.  It must be maple syrup.

Top the French toast with your caramelized bananas and some syrup and you have a really decadent way to start your day.  You could top it with some powdered sugar for some added presentation points.  But I thought I already had more than enough calories wrapped up in this breakfast.

Now we need to exercise!  (But it was totally worth it.)