What is better in life than waking up on a weekend morning and sipping a hot coffee? Sipping it with a delicious breakfast of course! And while we’re at it, why not integrate the coffee into breakfast as well? There are few things in life that I like better than coffee, I am perpetually on the hunt for the best cup of coffee imaginable. So the idea of cooking with coffee flavor seemed like a natural progression of the obsession. 

When I first started thinking about this recipe, I wanted to use high quality espresso to make the drizzle. However, I quickly realized that using actual coffee would make the crème fraîche far too liquidy. Originally, this was supposed to be a stuffed french toast recipe, but I quickly realized no matter the base I used (crème fraîche, mascarpone, cream cheese) the filing would eventually melt and drip out after being stuffed into the french toast, so I settled upon drizzling it on top and using the base that tasted the best. 

As always, one major key to french toast is making sure your bread is well dried out, and giving it lots of time to soak up the liquid. This is how moist & flavorful french toast are achieved. I hope this delicious breakfast makes its way into your home in an upcoming weekend! 

Active time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

French toast

• 1 loaf brioche, cut into medium-thick slices
• 5 eggs
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp cocoa powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• Butter, for cooking

Espresso crème fraîche drizzle

• ½ cup crème fraîche
• 1 tbsp instant coffee
• 2 tbsp sugar
• ½ tsp cocoa powder

Directions

1. Purchase your brioche loaf a few days in advance, and let it sit on the counter uncovered in order to help it dry out. If you’re in a pinch and your brioche isn’t quite stale yet, pop the slices into the oven at 200F for 20-30 minutes. 
2. Whisk together the eggs, milk, vanilla extract, sugar, cocoa powder and salt. Make sure to beat until it is well mixed, such that the egg yolks and whites are indistinguishable. 
3. Pour into a large, flat dish (personally, I use a baking sheet) and soak the brioche for about 30 minutes, flipping a few times. We want most of the french toast mixture to be absorbed and the bread to feel saturated. 
4. While the bread is soaking, make the espresso drizzle. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk together. The instant coffee may take a few minutes to dissolve. Store in the fridge until ready to be eaten. 
5. Heat a cast iron skillet on medium-low heat. Add in about a tbsp of butter for every two french toast being cooked. Cook for 4-5 minutes on each side, flipping once nicely browned. 
6. Serve immediately, coated in the espresso drizzle and enjoy!