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Gingerbread French Toast with Apple Cranberry Compote

Gingerbread French Toast with Apple Cranberry Compote

Best Product for Gingerbread French Toast with Apple Cranberry Compote

Hestan NanoBond 11" Skillet

Recipe Notes

Bring the holiday spirit to your kitchen with this cozy Gingerbread French Toast. Infused with warming spices and topped with a buttery apple cranberry compote, it is surprisingly simple to make. It smells like a festive morning and tastes even better. Whether you are hosting brunch or enjoying a quiet winter weekend, this comforting dish is the perfect way to share some seasonal joy with family and friends.

Ingredients

Apple Cranberry Compote

  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

  • 2 Honeycrisp apples, peeled and diced small, about 3 1/4 cups

  • 1/2 cup fresh cranberries or frozen

  • 1/4 cup packed brown sugar

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

  • Pinch of salt

  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

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Gingerbread French Toast Custard

  • 4 large eggs

  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger

  • 1 cup whole milk 

  • 1/4 cup heavy cream 

  • 1/4 cup pure maple syrup 

  • 2 tablespoons fancy molasses

  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

  • Pinch of salt

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French Toast

  • 8 thick slices day-old brioche or challah 

  • Butter, for cooking

Instructions

Brown Butter Apple Cranberry Compote

  • Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Cook until lightly browned and nutty, watching closely so it does not burn.

  • Add the apples, cranberries, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and salt.

  • Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apples are tender and the cranberries have burst.

  • Stir in the lemon juice and reduce the heat to low to keep warm.

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Gingerbread Custard

  • In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs until smooth.

  • In a small dish, mix the cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger. Add the spices to the eggs and whisk vigorously until fully incorporated.

  • Whisk in the milk, cream, maple syrup, molasses, vanilla, and salt until the custard is smooth and well combined.

  • Pour the custard into a shallow dish.

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French Toast

  • Optional, Gingerbread Cutouts: In our video and photos, we cut gingerbread shapes from the bread before cooking, which made the cutouts delicate to manage. For best results, cook the French toast slices whole first. If you would like gingerbread shapes, use a cookie cutter to cut them out after the French toast is cooked. This keeps the slices sturdy and much easier to handle.

  • Heat a griddle or a large skillet over medium heat and add a bit of butter to coat the surface.

  • Dip each full bread slice of bread into the custard (egg mixture), turning briefly to coat both sides. Do not soak.

  • Cook the bread in batches for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until golden brown and cooked through. Add more butter to the pan as needed.

  • Keep cooked French toast warm while you finish the remaining slices.

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To Serve

  • Stack two pieces of warm French toast and top with a generous spoonful of apple cranberry compote. Finish with warm maple syrup, whipped cream and a dusting of icing sugar, if desired. Serve immediately.

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