Brioche French Toast with Blueberry Sage Compote

French toast is nearly the perfect breakfast food. Warm, springy, and lightly sweet, it matches rather nicely with fruit. As a bonus it is simple to make and looks beautiful, especially with a dusting of icing sugar and some blueberry compote. You can even call it healthy with a nice balance of carbs and protein. Add in superfood blueberry, and you have a winner. 

This French toast recipe steps it up just a notch by using a custard instead of the traditional milk and egg mixture. This gives it a fluffier texture and a richer, creamier flavor that blends well with the sweet and tart compote.

Brioche is the perfect bread for making French toast. If you think of it, take it out the day before, slice it, and leave it on the counter. Slightly dry bread makes perfect French toast. Whether it is just for you or for a brunch with family or friends, we know you will love this satisfying treat. It even makes a great dinner served with bacon, eggs, or sausage. Grab a cup of coffee or a mimosa, and we will get started with a simple, elegant meal.

Ingredients

For the brioche French toast

• 6 slices brioche bread
• 6 egg yolks
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 300 ml heavy cream
• dash of cinnamon 
• dash of nutmeg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3 Tbsp butter
• icing sugar, to taste (optional)

For the blueberry sage compote

• 1 cup Wild Coast Fruit dried whole blueberries
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 4 sage leaves
• 2 Tbsp cornstarch or arrowroot powder mixed with 1/4 cup water (optional)

Directions

For the French toast

1. Whisk together the sugar and egg yolks until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is pale yellow and creamy.
2. Heat the vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cream until just before boiling, stirring frequently. It is very important not to turn your back on this. Cream can boil over quickly and is a pain to clean. 
3. Pour the cream mixture into the egg yolk mixture slowly, stirring constantly. 
4. Run this mixture through a sieve into a small bowl, preferably one with a flat bottom. 
5. Melt 1 Tbsp butter in your frying pan. 
6. Dip two pieces of the brioche in your custard mix until coated but not soggy, and fry until golden on both sides. 
7. Keep them warm in an oven preheated to 120 until all pieces are finished. 
8. Sprinkle with a little icing sugar, if desired, and the blueberry sage compote. 

For the blueberry sage compote

1. Place the blueberries in a bowl, and pour the cup of boiling water over them. 
2. Set them aside to begin to soften while you gather up remaining ingredients. 
3. Put the sugar, lemon juice, and sage leaves in a small saucepan. 
4. Add the blueberries, along with the remaining water. 
5. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. 
6. Reduce heat, and simmer for about 15 minutes. 
7. At this point you can add the cornstarch or arrowroot mixture if you would like it to be a little thicker. If you want to do this, simply pour it in slowly and continue simmering, stirring constantly, for a few minutes until you reach your desired consistency. 
8. Remove the sage leaves before pouring on the French toast.
9. If you have extra, it will keep in a jar in the fridge for a couple weeks. 

This fabulously rich and fluffy French toast is fancy enough for brunch guests but simple enough to enjoy all by yourself on a Saturday morning. Serve it with bacon and a variety of fresh fruit slices. Enjoy!