Orange French Toast... Ooo...La...La...Oof

Somehow it has gotten to be April and I have yet to post anything for the year. First, I'm not sure how it got to be April. Second, it's not like I haven't had a bunch of things I wanted to post, I just haven't done it. I don't know how people keep up with the blogs!

Tonight as I tried to find the recipe I'm about to share, I panicked about what had happened to it. This is a recipe I've been making for just about forever. I lost the original orange bread recipe, and found a comparable one on all recipes. But I have been making this since I worked at LexisNexis in Dayton, Ohio, and I haven't worked there since the mid-90s. The piece of paper with the recipe is so gross and disgusting that calling it that is probably offensive to gross and disgusting things. It is time to bring it to the digital age!

This recipe begins with orange bread made in the bread machine. And let me tell you, this bread is truly orange. The first time I made this (with my original gross, disgusting recipe card, pre-grossness) I was surprised. The recipe I used didn't tell me that. The lovely recipe from AllRecipes is kind enough to mention it. Add in orange zest and fresh juice to the french toast mixture, then more to the syrup, and well, YUM.

The original french toast recipe calls for placing a single layer of bread in a 9x12 inch baking dish, pouring the mixture over the bread, coating evenly, covering and refrigerating over night. I have never been a fan of french toast made this way. I prefer to just dip mine in the mixture and cook immediately. I prefer my toast a bit more dry and less eggy. I recommend you do the way you prefer.


Orange Bread
1 egg
1 cup orange juice
1/4 cup hot water
1 T butter
1/4 cup vanilla sugar
3-1/2 cups bread flour
1 t salt
.25 oz yeast
Zest from the oranges you juice to make 1 cup juice

Zest then juice oranges. The original recipe calls for 2T, but I like as much as possible, so I use everything I get from the oranges I juiced. Place all the ingredients in the bread machine in the order suggested by the manufacturer. Bake at basic cycle.

Orange Syrup
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
Zest from the oranges used to make 1/2 cup of orange juice

Mix all the ingredients in a saucepan. Simmer over low heat for 5 minutes. Serve warm with french toast.

Orange French Toast
6 eggs
3/4 cup half-and-half
1 loaf of orange bread
2 t vanilla
2 T butter softened
1/3 cup orange juice plus 2 t grated orange zest

In a small bowl, beat eggs and vanilla. Beat in half-and-half. Pour mixture into a 9x9 inch pan.

Melt 2 T butter on a large griddle on medium heat.

Drip in slices of bread, coating both sides with the mixture. Place the coated bread slices on the griddle. Brown both sides over medium heat. Repeat with all the slices.

Serve with orange syrup and a bit of powdered sugar.