Crème Brûlée French Toast
A crème brûlée is nothing more than a chilled baked custard with a thin coating of sugar torched on its surface to create a layer of glassy caramelized sugar. The deep and complex notes of the burnt sugar compliment the richness of the creamy custard, not to mention the pleasure of contrast between smooth custard and crunchy caramel. Over the decades, crème brûlée has evolved from a simple dessert to one with more iterations and flavors than you would think possible. But we’re still partial to the classic recipe, which always incorporates vanilla and some kind of liqueur. French toast, conveniently enough, is bread that is soaked in a liquid custard before being cooked either on the stove or in the oven. The custard that soaks into the bread cooks and sets, creating a fluffy and rich breakfast entree. We decided to make a custard similar in flavor to a traditional crème brûlée, and then cook the french toast in the oven on top of a layer of caramel, blending the best of both worlds and making a breakfast that should probably be considered a dessert.