Chef notes
This is an easy crowd-pleaser to make ahead of any at-home gathering. The guava crème anglaise is the perfect topping for the French toast. This dish reminds me of growing up in a small country town in a Dominican home where my family would make French toast with tropical fruit on Sundays.
Technique tip: Once you sear the French toast with butter or nonstick spray, place into oven at 350 F until inside is completely cooked. Exterior should be golden brown.
Swap option: If you feel the crème anglaise is a bit challenging, beautiful maple syrup will do the job. Also, for the fruit toppings, add what's in season and fresh at the farmers market.
Ingredients
- 1 loaf pullman cinnamon swirl, cut into 1½-inch-thick slices
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup condensed milk
- 3 cups sugar
- 6 eggs
- 1½ tablespoons vanilla bean paste
- 1½ cups guava puree
- 1/3 cups agave
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cups milk
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 8 egg yolks
- blackberries
- raspberries
- powdered sugar
Preparation
For the French toast:
1.Combine all items except bread in a mixing bowl and combine well; then, in a pan, submerge bread in mixture and let soak for 6 hours.
2.Coat hot pan or griddle with nonstick spray, add bread to pan, wait for one side to get a nice, caramelized, golden-brown sear, then flip and do the same to the other side (about 2 minutes on each side).
3.Place in oven until the outside is crispy and the inside exceeds 145 F.
For the guava sauce:
Heat all ingredients in a saucepot then process in a blender to a fine puree.
For the crème anglaise:
Combine the first four ingredients in saucepot, heat and set aside; then mix the second round of sugar and egg yolks together in a bowl and heat over direct flame to give air.
Slowly temper egg mixture with heated liquid till nappe (thick enough to coat the back of a spoon), then set bowl in an ice bath right away, cover and stir every hour of the cooling process (if possible, 24 hours).
To plate:
On a plate, place a spoonful of crème anglaise and a few dabs of guava sauce, then add French toast on top. Garnish with optional berries and powdered sugar.
