PINK CITRUS FRENCH TOAST

Is your citrus drawer embarrassingly hard to open? Do you suffer from over-zealous trips down the produce aisle this time of year? Do you squeal each time you slide your knife through a plump, yellow grapefruit just because you cannot believe the wonder of living in a world with pink food?

If you are answering “yes” to any or all of these queries, we have bonded and I would like to personally invite you over for breakfast. You bring the lattes, I’ll cover the eats, and together we can gush about winter citrus and the return of chenille.

I am making us a popping pink breakfast, and while we should all be tucking this recipe away for Valentine’s Day morning, there is absolutely no reason to wait that long for this happy morning meal.

French toast, though wonderful, is more of the mattress in this meal arrangement. Yeah, I’m making a bed metaphor here and it’s weird, but I am charged up on coffee so let’s just be thankful it is not weirder.

To top our custard-soaked mattress, we make a bright, hot pink blood orange syrup that will form a show-stopping quilt. Honestly, you guys, this syrup could top anything from your morning yogurt to panna cotta. It is AMAZING!

It’s thickened for a few minutes on the stovetop, and then set aside to cool while we cook the french toast, er...mattress?

I’m hanging onto this metaphor for all its worth because it’s 5:26pm and I have dinner to make, and a puppy who insists upon sitting on my laptop keys, so there is no way I am starting over, K?

Mattress, quilt, now we need some pillows, right?

Reach into the back of your cheese drawer (oh, you shoved meyer lemons in there too?!? It’s cool, just reach a little farther.), and find your mascarpone.

We are going to whip a couple spoonfuls of mascarpone along with confectioner’s sugar and vanilla extract until it is smooth and fluffy.

Dot the piping hot toast with the whipped mascarpone and let it glaze the toast as it melts.

We have all of the components, but now it is time to pretty up that bed we have made.

You can never have too many decorative pillows, right? The same goes for pink citrus segments.

The bright segments of grapefruit and blood orange brighten up this plate, making this dish feel ever so much lighter than traditional french toast.

Did you ever see a prettier plate?

No day that begins with a breakfast as pink as this can be all bad.

Happy Monday.

Sincerely,

Pedantic Foodie

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PINK CITRUS FRENCH TOAST

SERVES TWO

• 1/2 cup grapefruit juice

• 1/2 cup blood orange juice

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar

• 1 tablespoon finely grated ginger

• 4 ounces mascarpone, softened

• 1/3 cup confectioner’s sugar

• 4 thick sliced sourdough bread, 3/4-inch in thickness

• 4 large eggs

• 3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 1 pink grapefruit, sliced into supremes

• 1 blood orange, sliced into supremes

Combine citrus juices, sugar, and grated ginger in a small saucepan and place over medium high heat. Whisk slowly, until the sugar has dissolved, and then stop stirring and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium and simmer steadily for 10 minutes; until thickened.

Allow the syrup to cool while you prepare the other elements.

In a small mixing bowl, combine mascarpone and confectioner’s sugar and beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Set aside.

In a wide, shallow baking dish, whisk together eggs, cream, and vanilla.

Lay two slices of bread in the dish and soak for 1 minute on each side. Lift from the pan, shaking the bread gently to remove any excess egg.

Place one tablespoon unsalted butter in a large, nonstick frying pan and set over medium heat. Once the butter has melted and has just begun to sizzle, lay the two sliced of soaked bread into the pan and cook for about 2 minutes; until browned. Flip, and repeat on the opposite side.

Lay the cooked french toast onto a large platter and repeat with the remaining 2 slices of bread.

Once all the french toast has been cooked, use a small spoon to place a dollop of the prepared mascarpone onto each slice of toast and cover with prepared citrus supremes. Drizzle with the warm, citrus syrup and serve immediately.

Enjoy!

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