Brioche French Toast w/ Cream Cheese and (Sour) Cherry Compote Recipe on Food52 (2024)

Serves a Crowd

by: coffeefoodwrite

May17,2010

3.5

2 Ratings

  • Serves 4

Jump to Recipe

Author Notes

Last night as I was out to dinner with friends, the subject of compotes came up and as you would have it, out of the blue -- one of my friends began describing the most amazing cherry compote she had tasted which was mixed with cream cheese. Of course, this got me to thinking and this morning I woke up (obsessive-food-maniac-that-I-am) with this recipe swirling in my head...=) Afternote: Per Bon Apetite's "French Toast Tips" featured this week on Food52 -- you can also "soak the bread overnight in the fridge so it can sop up the egg and milk mixture. Arrange the bread slices in a shallow baking dish in a single layer, and be sure to turn the bread at least once."

Read More http://www.bonappetit.com... - coffeefoodwritergirl
coffeefoodwrite

Test Kitchen Notes

This rich, eggy French toast is very decadent. The little bit of cream cheese and cherry compote are great toppings with well-balanced sweet and tart flavors. I'd make it for a special weekend breakfast. - Stephanie —The Editors

  • Test Kitchen-Approved

What You'll Need

Ingredients
  • for the French toast:
  • 2 Brioche buns – sliced about 1 inch thick
  • 6 eggs
  • a capful of vanilla extract
  • seeds from 1/2 a vanilla bean - scraped out (optional)
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  • splash of heavy cream
  • Butter for sautéing.
  • for the cream cheese mixture:
  • 8 ounces cream cheese
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • zest from one-half a lemon
  • for the (sour) cherries:
  • 1 pound sour or regular cherries – pitted
  • ¼ cup sugar (1/2 cup if using sour cherries)
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice (omit if using sour cherries)
  • 1 cup water
Directions
  1. Place (sour) cherries in saucepan with sugar, water and lemon juice. Cook down for 45 minutes until cherries are softened – adding more water if necessary – you should have a nice reduced cherry compote, with sauce that is thickened around it.
  2. Whip cream cheese w/ honey and lemon zest until light and fluffy. Set aside.
  3. Whisk together eggs, vanilla, vanilla bean seeds (if using), sugar and heavy cream in medium bowl. Pour into shallow dish. Dip brioche slices into egg until well coated. Heat butter in skillet or griddle until drop of water splashed in immediately sizzles and then disappears. When griddle/pan is ready, place brioche French toast in pan and sauté until golden brown. Flip and griddle other side as well.
  4. Remove to plate and place a dollop of cream cheese and a spoonful of compote on each brioche. Enjoy!

Tags:

  • French Toast
  • Condiment/Spread
  • French
  • Honey
  • Bean
  • Cream Cheese
  • Cherry
  • Lemon Juice
  • Fruit
  • Cheese
  • Grains
  • Serves a Crowd
Contest Entries
  • Your Best French Toast
  • Your Best Holiday Breakfast

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • testkitchenette

  • ShowFoodChef

  • dymnyno

  • mrslarkin

  • coffeefoodwrite

Popular on Food52

8 Reviews

testkitchenette May 18, 2010

I love the sweet and sour profiles coming together in this along with the hot and cold...sort of like cold gelato on a hot brioche bun. I dream of food too and have to keep a pen with paper by the bed to write stuff down and yes, normal.

coffeefoodwrite May 18, 2010

I do the same, pen and pencil by the bed....I think my favorite meal is breakfast -- croissant and espresso -- though lunch is an exciting time to experiment with salads...and well, there is dinner...ha!

ShowFoodChef May 17, 2010

I'm new to this, but I already LOVE how we all leave cool comments on each other's. Cherries are my fav and your pic looks so delish, I almost feel the warmth!

coffeefoodwrite May 17, 2010

Thanks ShowFoodChef, I took it while it was still steaming (and had to eat some before dinner -- we are having it for dessert!)

dymnyno May 17, 2010

This sounds soooo good !!! and the pic is not half bad either! I wish I could reach out and grab it now.

coffeefoodwrite May 17, 2010

Glad you liked it!

mrslarkin May 17, 2010

This sounds yummy! I'm glad I'm not the only one who wakes up thinking about food. (and goes to bed thinking about food - and dreams about food - that's not weird, right?)

coffeefoodwrite May 17, 2010

No....perfectly normal!

Brioche French Toast w/ Cream Cheese and (Sour) Cherry Compote Recipe on Food52 (2024)

FAQs

What is brioche French toast made of? ›

Brioche and its close cousin challah are enriched breads, which means they're made with added butter or oil, sugar, and eggs. This gives them a richer flavor, yet the texture is bewitchingly fluffy and pillowy—and this creates an irresistible, melt-in-your-mouth French toast.

Should French toast be sweet or savoury? ›

This dish is a breakfast staple that involves dipping bread in scrambled eggs and frying it. It can be enjoyed in either a savory or sweet flavor profile, with a range of toppings and accompaniments, such as feta and honey.

How to make brioche French toast not soggy? ›

The way to avoid total sogginess in French toast is to quickly dip the bread and immediately put it in the pan. Cook it over low heat so that the outside slowly browns while the inside cooks through. If you want it truly crisp, you should place the cooked slices in the oven and heat through.

What is Parisian brioche? ›

Made of flour, butter, eggs, sugar, milk, salt and yeast, the Parisian brioche is made by placing one ball of dough on top of another and glazing the result with egg before baking.

Why is brioche so good? ›

Brioche is different to most breads because it's made with an enriched dough and tastes a little sweeter. . Because it's an enriched dough, you get that famous brioche texture of soft bread, the classic golden colour and quintessentially rich taste.

Why is restaurant French toast so much better? ›

According to the chef, the difference comes down to two main elements: the use of high-quality yeasty bread and allowing it time to properly soak. While you can use regular old white bread at home, you may want to give yours an upgrade — try subbing in thick-cut slices of brioche instead.

Why does my French toast taste weird? ›

Nail the Egg-to-Milk Ratio

Eggs and milk are the essential components of the custard base that gives French toast its tender richness—but get their ratio off and you'll wind up with undercooked slices that have an unpleasantly savory "scrambled eggs" flavor.

How do British people eat French toast? ›

Britain – Eggy bread

As with most variations, it starts with bread soaked in an egg-and-milk mixture, which is fried until golden-brown. The Brits enjoy it with Marmite (a spread made from yeast extract) or tomato sauce (ketchup).

What's the difference between Texas French toast and French toast? ›

Quite simply, Texas French toast is exactly what it sounds like, French toast that has been made using the extra thick slices endemic to Texas toast. Since the cut of bread is so thick, it allows for greater absorption of the egg and cream mixture and longer frying times.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Chrissy Homenick

Last Updated:

Views: 6555

Rating: 4.3 / 5 (54 voted)

Reviews: 93% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Chrissy Homenick

Birthday: 2001-10-22

Address: 611 Kuhn Oval, Feltonbury, NY 02783-3818

Phone: +96619177651654

Job: Mining Representative

Hobby: amateur radio, Sculling, Knife making, Gardening, Watching movies, Gunsmithing, Video gaming

Introduction: My name is Chrissy Homenick, I am a tender, funny, determined, tender, glorious, fancy, enthusiastic person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.