Southland French Toast

Whenever I have a partial Italian/French bread loaf around, I like to make a sweet and spicy French Toast dish that includes one of several fruits usually around the kitchen like blueberries or raspberries, or any grilled fruit like pears, peaches, or plums. I place the syrup in a ramekin for dipping and make the fruit the star of the dish.

Ingredients
French Toast
Four ¾” to 1” pieces of Italian or French bread
3 eggs (duck or chicken)
4 oz half and half
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp cayenne
½ tsp vanilla extract
Juice from 1 large orange or 2 clementines
2 oz butter
4 oz maple syrup

Fruit Options
12 oz fresh blueberries or raspberries
3 small previously marinated and grilled peaches or pears (usually marinated in brown sugar, olive oil, bourbon/brandy, fermented hot sauce)
2 oranges peeled and sliced combined with ¼ tsp brown sugar
Sauteed apples

Whisk together the eggs, half and half, cinnamon, cayenne, vanilla, and orange juice then set aside. Mix again just prior to use.
On a griddle melt the butter and spread around evenly- submerge each bread slice in the egg mixture and turn several times to soak it. Place on the griddle and cook until brown, turning several times.
Place two pieces of toast on each plate, add your preferred fruit topping (if using previously grilled fruit from the refrigerator heat on the griddle first), and pour natural/organic maple syrup around the outside of each piece of bread or place in a ramekin for dipping.
Feel free to add any breakfast meat of choice, my favorite with this dish is scrapple!