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This Orange Custard French Toast is the dreamiest and most delicious way to elevate your breakfast game. Making an orange custard dip takes ordinary French toast to a new levelโitโs sure to be a breakfast favorite.
I have a deep love for French toast and at this point, I pretty much consider myself a connoisseur. (I love my classic Custard French Toast and even my Vegan French Toast.) Over the years, I have tried what feels like all the versions of French toast, and one of the more intriguing recipes Iโve seen has used melted ice cream as a dip. This Orange Custard French Toast is inspired by that idea.ย
My favorite bread to use for French toast is challah, as I think it has the best flavor and texture and makes for thick slices of toast that soak up the custard dip. Challah is a special bread of Ashkenazi Jewish origin, typically eaten on ceremonial occasions and Jewish holidays. Challah is widely available, but if you arenโt able to find it near you, Iโd recommend a dense white bread that ideally you can slice yourself into thick slices.
What is Orange Custard French Toast
Orange Custard French Toast starts with a base similar to crรฉme anglaise. Crรฉme anglaise is essentially a pouring custard or a custard sauce made with egg yolks, sugar, cream, milk, and also, vanilla. However, we are using a combo of both whole eggs and egg yolks and substituting Floridaโs Natural Orange Juice for the milk to add a gorgeous and bright orange flavor. The combination of cream and orange juice blended with lots of vanilla yields something akin to the nostalgic orange cream popsicles of your youth. From here, you proceed as normal, melting butter and frying dipped slices of bread to golden perfection.
How to Make Orange Custard French Toast
- Start by whisking the eggs and egg yolks together.
- In a pot, warm up the orange juice, heavy cream, sugar, and salt. When itโs steamy, but not boiling, add about 1/4 cup of this warm cream mixture to the egg mixture, whisking vigorously. This brings the egg mixture to a warmer temperature slowlyโinstead of making scrambled eggs.
- Pour it back into the pot and bring it to a very gentle simmer, whisking regularly for even cooking. This is when it thickens and resembles a pouring custard. You will know itโs ready when it can coat the back of a spoon.
- I like to strain it just to make sure there are no lumps and whisk my vanilla extract in after straining.
- Cool the custard to room temperature. This is why itโs great to make the custard the night before.
- Melt some butter in a pan and then dip the bread slices in the custard. Cook on each side for about a few minutes on each side or until golden brown.
- Repeat until all slices are coated and cooked and then top with desired toppings!
Tips and Tricks
- This a great recipe to break up into parts. You can make the custard the day before and stick it in the fridge overnight. The next morning, it will be ready to go.
- To avoid clumps in your custard, pour it through a strainer into a bowl before whisking in the vanilla. This will eliminate any cooked egg bits that may be present.
- If your challah is very soft, slice it the night before for firmer slices that are easier to cook.
If you make this recipe, let me know on Instagram!
Looking for more recipes to make? Here are some favorites:
- Pumpkin French Toast
- Strawberries and Cream Cake
- Eggnog French Toast
- Strawberry and Cream Cookies
- Roasted Strawberries on Toast
- Matcha Latte
Orange French Toast
Equipment
- 1 Whisk
Ingredients
Custard French Toast:
- Custard French Toast
- 2 large eggs
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 cup Floridaโs Naturalยฎ No-Pulp Orange Juice
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 loaf dense, white bread โ I prefer challah (6 slices cut in 1 1/2-2-inch-thick slices)
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
Toppings:
- Powdered sugar
- Zest of an orange
- Supreme, (segments) of 2 oranges
- Maple syrup
Instructions
To Make the Custard French Toast:
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and yolks.
- In a medium saucepan, heat the orange juice, cream, granulated sugar, and salt over medium heat, occasionally whisking, until the mixture is warm to the touch and the sugar is dissolved about 3 minutes. Remove the mixture from the heat, and whisking constantly, pour about one-quarter of it into the egg mixture. (Note: This step is important. If you do add too much warm milk to the eggs, youโll make scrambled eggs.)
- Pour the egg and milk mixture back into the pot and place back on the heat. Cook until it thickens, about 3 minutes, then pour through a strainer, removing clumps. Whisk in the vanilla extract. Cool to nearly room temperature or chill the custard for up to 2 days until ready to use.
- Preheat the oven to 200หF. I like to place a baking sheet in the oven. This is where I like to keep the French toast warm while I make them in batches.
- In a large heavy skillet, heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat until it is hot but not smoking. Take your bread slices and dip them into the egg/milk mixture, coating them on both sides. I didnโt leave the slices in there too long because I donโt like gooey French toast. If thatโs your thing, then Iโd suggest leaving them in there for a minute or two minutes. I did a quick dip.
- Add 2 or 3 slices of bread (or as many that can fit in your pan) and cook for 3 minutes on each side, or until puffed and golden brown. Transfer the French toast to a baking sheet and keep it warm in the oven. Repeat with the remaining butter and bread slices.
To Assemble with Toppings:
- Top with any combination of desired toppings from powdered sugar to orange zest or orange segments. You can serve it with more butter and maple syrup if you like!
Notes
- This a great recipe to break up into parts. You can make the custard the day before and stick it in the fridge overnight. The next morning, it will be ready to go.
- To avoid clumps in your custard, pour it through a strainer into a bowl before whisking in the vanilla. This will eliminate any cooked egg bits that may be present.
- If your challah is very soft, slice it the night before for firmer slices that are easier to cook.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
