Load 'em up!

So I discovered something quite yummy recently....homemade French toast can be frozen, and then dropped into a toaster (you don't even need a toaster oven!), and it's almost like eating it fresh from the skillet! And when you find a good recipe, tweak it a bit, and use some especially good ingredients, you can have some kick-ass French toast!! My first time was an experiment to use up the last of a loaf of fancy "farmhouse" white bread. This time? A loaf was purchased purely with French toast in mind! Check it out...

I started with this recipe from Taste of Home, and then "enhanced" it...here's my version for what seems to work for a single loaf of bread:

Vanilla French Toast

• 1 loaf Pepperidge Farm Farmhouse Hearty White bread
• 8 large eggs
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup 2% milk
• 4 Tbs sugar
• 4 tsp vanilla (I'm using fruitier Tahitian vanilla for this)
• 2 tsp salt
• 8 drops orange oil
• 2 tsp cinnamon

1. Mix all ingredients except the bread.
2. Lightly spray griddle with non-stick spray, and set to med-high heat.
3. Dip bread into batter only just before you'll be putting it on the griddle, and only soak each side maybe 10 seconds at first - you don't want to over saturate, but you don't want it dry either.
4. Fry the French toast until desired doneness - don't be afraid to get it nice and brown since freezing can sometimes reduce flavor intensity a little.
5. Cool fully on rack, then layer with parchment paper in bags, and load up the freezer!  (I can easily fit three slices in a quart freezer bag)
6. When you want to eat, pull from freezer, stick in toaster (hope it fits!), and give it a round or two if fully frozen.

Notes:

• Our loaf came with 14 slices and 2 heels.  I don't do heels - feed those to someone in your house who likes them.
• I found dumping all the ingredients in a 4 cup Pyrex measuring cup (start with the dairy, since you're measuring it) and hitting it with the immersion blender worked wonders.  Granted, I was figuring this as I went, so I actually did it in two half batches - but I think the 4 cup Pyrex should work.
• I'm serious about trying the Tahitian vanilla.  I love Madagascan vanilla as well, but Tahitian is sweeter and fruitier - excellent for this kind of recipe.  I got it pretty cheap at Home Goods actually!
• No, the orange oil isn't required.  If you DO try it, go VERY light....a little goes a loooong ways.  I'm also trying a little eggnog-flavored oil this time around - a freebie sampler from Williams Sonoma around the holidays.
• I attribute the extra rich golden color of our French toast to the farm fresh eggs I've been getting from Breakneck Acres near us.  Try to find a local farmer with pasture raised/free range eggs - it makes a world of difference!
• Yes Sharon, this is a really long recipe.  ;-)