Old Bay French Toast
Old Bay French Toast- This is classic french toast with a Maryland style twist thanks to the addition of Old Bay seasoning to the batter.
March 21, 2022 by Nicole Collins
I have a question.
Do people still soup up their cars? Is that still a thing?
I feel like in my younger days, having a tricked out car was the ultimate goal.
I didn’t hang out with the crowd that spent every last penny on car modifications, but my friends were definitely into the whole craze. The loud mufflers. The dark illegal window tints. The glowing lights.
I passed a car on the highway the other morning that had neon lights around the perimeter of the bumper. And honestly, I’d totally forgotten that people did that kind of thing. And, that’s what made me wonder if people still do.
I know my generation was certainly not the only one to want to fancy up their cars. But I feel like in this world of documenting our entire lives on social media, we’d see more of it if it was still a big thing.
If you have the answer, let me know!
Today, we’re souping up a classic recipe, so to speak, with the simple addition of a surprising ingredient.
Today, we’re making Old Bay French Toast!
Now listen…you guys trust me, right? We’ve put Old Bay in more than our fair share of sweet dishes in the past. And I haven’t steered you wrong so far, have I? So, trust that this is just classic french toast with a little Maryland style twist.
So, let’s get to it!
Let’s talk bread. When it comes to french toast, there are 2 superior bread choices in my opinion…challah bread and brioche bread. We’re going to use the latter for this recipe. What I like about both of these breads is that they’re thick and hearty and can really take on the custard we soak it in without falling apart. I like for the bread to be cut at least a half inch thick, but if you’re buying an uncut loaf, you could always stretch that a little bit and go thicker.
For our custard, we’re keeping things very classic: eggs, milk, sugar, and cinnamon. But, the secret ingredient here is the Old Bay. To me, Old Bay does to cinnamon what salt does to chocolate. It enhances the flavor in a way that’s not aggressive but adds a little something special that would feel missing without it. We’re not dumping tons of seafood seasoning into this custard and making it taste like the bay. Instead, we’re adding just a kiss which adds a slightly savory note but almost makes the cinnamon taste more cinnamony.
After the custard is all mixed together, in goes our brioche to soak up all that creamy goodness. Then, to a buttered griddle it goes to toast up. Now, when it’s time to serve, I like to go one of two ways with this. You could go classic with a little butter and syrup on top. Or, you could go decadent with some whipped cream and caramel on top. You get bonus points if you make my Old Bay caramel!
I love recipes that use secret ingredients that make your loved ones say “hmm…” And, this is definitely that kind of recipe. This is the standard french toast that we all know and love, so to speak. It’s sweet and fluffy and eggy and delicious. But, it also has that slightly surprising savory undertone. It’s sooooo good!
It’s become my mission to incorporate Old Bay into anything that I possibly can, and I think I’m really winning with this one!
I hope you all enjoy, and let’s eat!
Old Bay French Toast
Serves: 6 slices Print
Ingredients:
3 eggs
½ cup heavy cream
2 tbsp sugar
½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp Old Bay
salt, to taste
6 slices brioche bread, sliced about ½ inch thick
1-2 tbsp unsalted butter
maple syrup, caramel sauce, and/or whipped cream, for serving
Directions:
In a wide, shallow bowl, add eggs, heavy cream, sugar, cinnamon, Old Bay, and a pinch of salt. Whisk well to combine, making sure to break up the egg whites completely.
Take one slice of brioche, and dip both sides of the bread in the egg custard mix until completely covered in egg, 5-7 seconds per side. Transfer to a plate, and repeat with remaining slices.
Melt 1 tbsp butter over medium heat in a large nonstick skillet. Add brioche to the skillet, making sure not to crowd the pan. Cook for 3-5 mins until the bottoms are golden brown. Flip, and cook for an additional 3-5 mins until the other side is golden brown. Repeat with remaining slices, if necessary, adding more butter to the pan, as needed.
To serve, drizzle french toast with maple syrup, caramel sauce, and/or whipped cream, if desired. Enjoy!
Recipe notes:
*Brioche bread loaves typically have slices cut a little thicker than regular sandwich bread. If you can't find pre-cut slices, buy a loaf of brioche and slice the bread to about a ½ inch thickness.
*You can make a big batch of this french toast to freeze for later. Let the french toast cool to room temperature. Individually wrap each slice in parchment paper, then transfer it to a freezer safe bag. When you're ready to reheat, place the french toast on a sheet pan (you can even use the parchment paper as a liner for easy clean up), and bake at 375 degrees for 7-10 mins. It'll be as crisp as if it just came out of the pan!
