Fresh Blackberry Syrup and Simple French Toast
Blackberries are one of my favorite summer fruits and freshly picked Pacific Northwest blackberries are about the very best a that blackberry could ever hope to be. To me, a bowl of sweet blackberries with a sprinkle of sugar is about as good as it gets. So, turning some perfect Pacific Northwest blackberries into a simple syrup seems like a good thing to do. Then pouring that syrup over some homemade French toast seems like an even better thing to do.
So let’s get to it and make some French toast and Blackberry syrup.
Start off by grabbing a loaf of sliced cinnamon bread. At the Orcas Island Market, I have found a brand of cinnamon bread that has a layer of streusel topping and a powdered sugar glaze that’s so tasty. Using a great brand of cinnamon toast, some fresh sweet blackberries and a few minutes to cook are all that’s needed to accomplish a perfect breakfast.
In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, cream, sugar and a pinch of salt.
Place a pat of butter on an electric griddle and heat to 325°or place butter in a large skillet and heat over medium/medium-high flame.
While the griddle/skillet is heating, dip cinnamon bread slices in the egg mixture, 15-30 seconds per side.
Shake off excess egg and place the bread on the hot surface. Cook for two minutes and then flip and continue cooking an additional 2 minutes. Be sure to keep a close eye – the toast can burn easily. ((If the toast begins to burn, reduce the heat.))
While the toast is cooking, place the blackberries in a medium saucepan along with water, a pat of butter, sugar and a pinch of salt. Simmer on medium/low flame until the liquid is reduced by half and the berries have released their juices.
To thicken, you can either add more water and continue simmering to reduce the liquid again by half or you can add a slurry of water and cornstarch. For time’s sake I added a cornstarch slurry. To keep from forming lumps, I removed a little of the hot blackberry juice and whisked the cornstarch into it before adding it to the syrup.
Once all of the toast as been cooked and the syrup is thickened, it’s time to serve.
- 16 slices of cinnamon bread
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 c cream
- 2 c milk
- 3 T sugar
- pinch of sea salt
- 2 T butter
- 1 pint fresh blackberries, rinsed
- 1/2 c sugar
- 1/2 c water, plus 2 T*
- 2 pinches of sea salt
- 2 T butter, I always use salted
- 1/2 t cornstarch
- In a large mixing bowl, combine eggs, cream, milk, sugar and salt. Whisk until smooth.
- Preheat electric griddle or large skillet to 325° or over medium/medium-high flame.
- Melt butter in the hot skillet/griddle.
- Place bread slices (one or two are a time) into the egg mixture for 15-30 seconds per side. Tap off excess egg and place on the griddle/skillet. Cook for 2 minutes per side, keeping a close eye to prevent burning. If the outside becomes too dark before the center is cooked, reduce the heat accordingly. Repeat until all French toast is cooked. To keep cooked French toast warm until service, either place on a cooking sheet into a 250° oven or set aside and rewarm on the griddle or skillet.
- While toast is cooking, combine blackberries, sugar, water, salt & butter. Simmer over medium flame until liquid is reduced by half and the berries have released their juices. ((I don't mash the berries - this reduces the amount of seeds visible in the syrup.))
- Simmer on medium/low flame until the liquid is reduced by half and the berries have released their juices.
- To thicken, you can either add more water and continue simmering to reduce the liquid again by half or you can add a slurry of water and cornstarch (this is where the 2 T of water come into play)). For time's sake I added a cornstarch slurry. To keep from forming lumps, I removed a little of the hot blackberry juice and whisked the cornstarch into it, then added 2 more T of water stirred and added the mixture back to the syrup.
- Once all of the toast as been cooked and the syrup is thickened, it's time to serve.
- Serve French toast by topping with the blackberry syrup.
- Serves 8
- *may add more to reach desired thickness depending on the amount of juices the blackberries release.
