Golden-brown brioche french toast rest on a thick smear of vanilla bean creme patisserie, topped with citrus roasted rhubarb and roughly chopped pistachios. Jump to Recipe
Just realised that this is my second week of a sweet breakfast recipe post… hope you don’t mind!
I don’t, but sweet breakfasts are one of my favourite meal categories – french toast, pancakes, brioche, chia puddings, you name it, I’m there (except maybe porridge – but would you class that as sweet?). Cafe trips leave me as indecisive as if I was just asked to make a life or death decision (maybe not quite, but close!), when really I just don’t know whether I want to order the healthy green breakfast with eggs and avocado or the decadent menu option. I often end up ordering both, or forcing my breakfast partner(s) to share with me.. A bad habit to get into, but an irrational fear of missing out on one or the other leaves me torn and completely unable to choose without leaving with serious menu regrets.
It’s strange, as indecisiveness isn’t a problem in other aspects of life – it is just when it comes to food. Whether I am trying to choose what cake to make on the weekend, what to order at a restaurant or what to make for dinner, decisions seem to take much longer and significantly more thought than they realistically should. Part of the problem currently is that I am unable to cook at college, so as soon as I go home I try to fit all my cooking and baking into a week or two of frantic time in the kitchen. Mid-semester break is coming up the week after next, and I currently have ideas spanning twenty or thirty dishes – impossible to fit into an eight day period, but am seriously struggling to choose – because really, how can you say that crumpets are more worthwhile than hotcakes, that strawberry-rhubarb bars are better than lemon-olive oil-sea salt bars, or that an espresso mascarpone banana bread should be prioritised over flaky lemon blueberry scones?
Seriously struggling, I tell you. So if you have any preferences or tips (that don’t include drawing recipes out of a hat…), please let me know!
But back to the recipe. It is based on a dish at a cafe called Three Bags Full that I recreated at home, as getting on a plane to experience it again right when I wanted it was probably a little excessive. The slabs of golden-brown brioche french toast rest on a thick smear of vanilla bean creme patisserie and are topped with citrus roasted rhubarb and roughly chopped pistachios. A partnership of sweet creme patisserie, hot french toast straight from the pan and tart stalks of spring rhubarb with extra nuttiness for texture, it is something I could eat again, and again, and again.
Although the activity levels in our house are such that it is a rarity for everyone to be around on a weekend morning for a lazy midmorning breakfast, I feel like this french toast would be ideal for that situation. It did work well even for different timed meals though, as the creme patisserie and rhubarb can be made well ahead and the french toast just cooked as required. The recipe will make more rhubarb (and possibly more creme patisserie) than you need, but no worries – either make french toast again to use it up, add the rhubarb to your muesli the next day, have it for dessert with ice cream.. I could go on, but the options are limitless! The recipe is also easy to scale up for more people – just use more eggs and milk to dip the french toast in and make a double batch of creme patisserie.
For the brioche loaf, I made my own the night before, left it out to get slightly stale and then used it for the next two days of french toast making – it was absolutely perfect, so if you have time, I would highly recommend Thalia Ho’s recipe (from Butter & Brioche) for brioche loaves. You could also buy a loaf of brioche, challah or similar enriched sweet bread to use – it creates such a different french toast than using a white french baguette or white loaf.
I would also love to try brûléeing the top of the french toast straight after it comes out of the pan with a sprinkle of extra sugar and a blowtorch for extra crispy sugary edges, but that will have to wait until next time!
- 250 ml milk (1 cup)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence or paste
- 4 tablespoons caster sugar (divided in two)
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 tablespoons cornflour
- 500 g rhubarb , washed and cut into approximately 10cm pieces
- juice of 1 orange
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla paste or 1 vanilla bean , split in half lengthways
- 2 tablespoons water
- 6-8 slices of brioche loaf (I baked this one from Thalia Ho at Butter & Brioche)
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil
- 1/2 cup pistachios , roughly chopped
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In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, vanilla and 2 tablespoons of the caster sugar and heat on low.
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In a separate bowl, beat together the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar, egg yolks and corn flour until pale, thick and creamy (about 5 minutes).
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Bring the milk to the boil, then slowly pour roughly half of the milk into the egg mixture, whisking constantly (this is easier with a stand mixture, but if using a handheld mixture gradually pour the milk in with one hand while holding the beater in the other!)
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Return the remaining milk to the heat to bring it back to the boil. When it has reached boiling point quickly add the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly with a fork or a hand whisk. Keep whisking vigorously over the heat until it returns to the boil - at this point it will start to thicken extremely quickly, so you will need to work fast. Pour it into a bowl and lay a circle of baking paper on top so it doesn’t form a skin.
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Refrigerate in an airtight container until needed (up to three days) You may have to beat it again until smooth right before using, and in this french toast it is nicer at room temperature than straight from the fridge.
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Preheat the oven to 180°.
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Combine the orange juice, sugar, vanilla paste and water in a small cup/bowl. In a roasting dish, spread out the rhubarb in an even layer. Pour the juice mixture over the top.
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Cover the dish with baking paper pressed onto the surface of the rhubarb, and bake for 15-30 minutes (depending on the thickness of your rhubarb) until tender but not mushy (a fork should pass through with little resistance). Set aside until ready to use.
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Slice the brioche about 1 inch thick (see photos). Whisk together the eggs, milk and sugar until frothy.
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Heat a non-stick saucepan on medium high with a bit of butter and oil (both, trust me). Dunk each slice of brioche into the eggy mixture, turning so each side is fully coated and it has soaked through the bread (about 30 seconds, but may need longer if your loaf is a bit stale).
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When the butter is bubbling, add brioche slices to the pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden. Keep warm in a low oven while you cook the rest of the french toast (add more butter and oil to the pan between each batch).
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Smear each serving plate with a tablespoon or two of creme patisserie. Top with a couple of slices of french toast, warm roasted rhubarb and the syrup it was cooked in and a sprinkle of pistachios. Devour!
how divine! i’ve never cooked with rhubarb before but this looks so tasty!!
Thanks Madeline, would wholeheartedly recommend cooking with rhubarb, seriously my favourite vegetable I think! 🙂
Except porridge? Hmmm… Have you tried porridge with rhubarb? If not, you should give this a try – hopefully you won’t be that prejudiced against oatmeal, haha:) In a meanwhile, you’ve got really the delicious and hearty breakfast. I mean, french toasts with rhubarb, cream patisserie, and pistachios? Count me on, please!
Haha I actually haven’t tried porridge with rhubarb..I don’t think I have really given porridge enough of a chance so should really track down a good (and sweet!) recipe to try, I know! Thanks Ben 🙂
Never made rhubarb with French toast, but yours looks incredibly tasty!!!
Rhubarb is my favourite with just about everything sweet to be honest, so good! Thanks Mila <3
This seems so decadent but refined! I am usually the kind of person who wants to have bacon with my French toast or just plain with a bit of salt on top (I know, I’m weird) but I’d be willing to break the rules for this. And your brioche looks like it came straight out of a French bakery.
Thanks so much Hannah! Will have to try the plain with salt – not something I had ever considered haha – I used to always have it with maple syrup and roasted bananas. It was my first time making a brioche loaf so I was a little bit nervous but Thalia’s recipe was super easy to follow <3
Wow, what an absolutely beautiful spread. Your photos are just stunning! Well done!
Thanks Jessica! <3
Let’s be breakfast buddies and split the decedent and savory menu items because nobody wants regrets at 8 am.
Haha it’s a plan, splitting meals is the best – I mean, who can expect us to decide on one thing?!
I am totally with you on the indecisive breakfast ordering, Claudia! To prove it, I actually just made a pain perdu recipe for the blog this week! :p We are totally on the same wavelength. I have such a sweet tooth, and it seems to always show up strongest at breakfast time. But I think if this brioche french toast was on the menu at one of the cafes I frequent, I’d have no problem deciding what to order! 😀 Also bruleeing the top is a fabulous idea! <3
Haha I’m glad its not just me! Can’t wait to see your pain perdu recipe this week – probably much more accurately French than mine!! Thanks so much Beeta, always so lovely to hear from you <3
OMG… this looks so fantastic!!! I love rhubarb! Never would have thought to put it on French toast. And those pics…ahhh swoon 🙂
Thank you Mila! Rhubarb is the best – so good with sweet french toast too! 🙂
I seriously need to try to cook with rhubarb. This looks so good!
Would fully recommend it Cathleen! Rhubarb is so easy to cook with and the tart but sweet flavour is totally unique. Thanks for stopping by! x
This sounds like a perfect breakfast. You have your fruit, your dairy, and bread! That’s healthy enough, right? And it’s pretty, so it counts by that alone!
Hahaha so with you there – all food groups covered! Thanks Abbe x
Looks like one divine breakfast! Rhubarb on French toast seems like quite the combination!
Thanks Sarah! I think it works so well because french toast is relatively sweet but the tangy rhubarb balances it nicely! 🙂
Woah! All these flavors look incredible!! I’m dying over how fluffy that brioche is!
Thanks Emily! <3
The more breakfast recipes the better as far as I am concerned. This one makes me want to re-evaluate all my life choices and get out of bed at a reasonable hour just so I can eat this!
Rhubarb on French Toast seriously looks like the bomb-diggity – I make it with caramelised pineapple sometimes asa dessert xx
Ooh caramelised pineapple sounds divine (I bet it would go perfectly with a coconut french toast and lime curd or something to be really tropical!). Thanks so much Ruby, hope you are having a lovely weekend xx
This sounds and looks so delicious Claudia!!
Gotta love ‘three bags full’ cafe – i miss it!
an amazing recreation which i am dying to eat right now 😀
brioche french toast is the besssttt!!
hope you’re having a wonderful weekend 🙂
Bec
xx
Thanks Bec, yes Three Bags Full is so good right!? And I just LOVE their french toast so had to try it for myself haha 🙂
Hope London is treating you well though!
Claudia xx
Claudia!! this looks and sounds absolutely DIVINE!! i could eat creme patisserie by itself with a spoon (i actually used to do just that when my mother used to make profiteroles haha!), and brioche is just the king of french toast for me! rhubarb would give this the perfect tang, which i always need with whatever sweet thing i am eating. love everything about this recipe, and i too share your manic indecisiveness when it comes to food haha. my husband is ALWAYS forced to share with me so we can order more, but he doesn’t complain 🙂
also, the photos r beautiful 🙂 xx
Thanks so much Noha! Creme patisserie is the best, isn’t it? And I just LOVE the tang of rhubarb, it does match all the sweetness perfectly. I am glad I am not the only indecisive person around here too!! Thanks again <3 xx