Buttermilk French toast with maple-bacon apples

Day-old challah is ideal for this recipe — It’s sturdy enough to stand up to long cooking. We like the subtle sweetness of this dish, but it's great served with lots of maple syrup.

Day-old challah is ideal for this recipe — It’s sturdy enough to stand up to long cooking. We like the subtle sweetness of this dish, but it’s great served with lots of maple syrup too.

Buttermilk French toast with maple-bacon apples

Serves 4

Ingredients:

Maple-bacon apples:
5 medium apples, unpeeled, thickly sliced (12 wedges per apple)
4 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
3 tbsp maple syrup
Lemon wedges

Buttermilk French toast:
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
4 eggs
1/4 cup sugar
Freshly-grated nutmeg (optional)
8 1-inch-thick slices challah, preferably stale
2 tsp canola oil, divided

Method:

1. Place apples, bacon and maple syrup in T-fal ActiFry. Cook 30 minutes. Then drain excess oil.

2. Whisk buttermilk with eggs, sugar and nutmeg until well combined. Pour into a shallow baking dish or pie plate.

3. Place 2 slices of challah into the buttermilk mixture and soak for at least 1 minute on each side or up to 5 minutes per slice. Heat a large non-stick pan over medium. Add 1/2 teaspoon of  canola oil.

4. Remove bread from buttermilk mixture and let excess drain off. Cook bread 1 to 2 minutes per side or until deep golden. Repeat with remaining bread, reducing heat to prevent burning, and adding another 1/2 teaspoon of oil with each batch.

5. Serve warm with maple-bacon apples and lemon wedges.