French Toast with Homemade Blueberry Syrup

Just about every family has their own recipe for French toast, but aside from a few who might make the mixture the same way each and every time, there really is no need for a recipe. (Did I just hear Escoffier rolling in his grave?  Perhaps, but it’s a true statement.) The basic foundation is nothing more than bread, eggs and milk.  From there any flavor combinations that suit your fancy are fair game, from vanilla, to sugar to liqueurs, it’s all up to your tastes and creativity.

I prefer to make my french toast simply. I’m not a fan of heavy flavors, especially first thing in the morning.  So when I decided to make this dish for my sons, my only real question was what to top the French toast with, not what I should put into the custard mix.

I haven’t purchased any syrup since we moved, so that was out of the question.  Just dropping on a pat of butter would have suited my tastes just fine, but kids like syrup.  A quick scout of the freezer turned up a bag of frozen blueberries that had been slated for muffins, but with my wife leaving in a few days, I decided it was safe to use them, and my new go-to recipe for berry syrup was born.

A loaf of Texas style white bread, a bit of time with some sugar and water and viola! A breakfast that my kids raved about for three hours.  If that’s not a success, I don’t know what is.

Does your family have a specific French toast method? Is there a certain set of spices used?  Are you a fan of crunchy coatings or of the slightly softer traditional versions?  What do you pour over your French Toast?  Let us know will you?

Yield: 4 servings

French Toast with Homemade Blueberry Syrup

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

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Ingredients

French Toast:

• Eggs
• Milk
• Bread
• Butter, for cooking

Syrup:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• 12 oz. blueberries (either fresh or frozen)
• 2 tbsp honey
• The juice of 1/2 lemon

Instructions

French Toast:

1. Mix egg and milk in a shallow dish large enough to accommodate bread slices. Dip both sides of each slice in egg mixture. Cook in a lightly buttered skillet over medium heat for approximately 2 minutes per side, or until bread is golden. If desired, store in a warm oven until ready to serve.

Syrup:

1. Combine sugar and water in a 3 quart saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally until sugar is completely dissolved. Add blueberries and honey. Increase heat to medium and bring to a simmer for approximately 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low, stir in lemon juice and allow to reduce for approximately 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
2. Syrup may be served warm or at room temperature. It will thicken noticeably the cooler it becomes.
3. If desired, strain out blueberries using a fine wire-mesh strainer before serving.
4. Share and Enjoy!

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 403Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 59mgSodium: 148mgCarbohydrates: 86gFiber: 3gSugar: 75gProtein: 5g

While this meal was pretty amazing, I think that straining the syrup might have made for a better flavor.  The blueberries themselves don’t really add a lot of flavor to the syrup, but they do add an interesting textural note.

Links to other recipes like this:

• French Toast with Blueberry Syrup, from 80 Breakfasts
• Blueberry-stuffed French Toast with blueberry-orange sauce, from Lisa’s Kitchen
• French Toast Medallions with Blueberry Compote, from Over the Hill and on a Roll