PAIN PERDU
The translation of pain perdu is ‘lost bread’ and the reason for that is that this dish was a way to save or stale or ‘lost’ bread. It is very similar to what we know as french toast but the difference between the two is that with pain perdu, the bread is soaked in the custard mixture for a period of time to allow it to soak right through the bread rather than a quick run through the egg mixture.
Allowing the bread to soak, makes the texture of the inside of the bread extremely silky and custardy.
Pain perdu got its start as a way of using up leftover bread. It made such a great breakfast and it’s delicious for a Brunch.
We love bread in our family, so we always have some bread around that we can use for Pain Perdu.
Sprinkle some powdered sugar on top of the bread. The recipe is adapted from COOKING LIGHT MAGAZINE!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups fat-free milk
- 3/4 cup egg substitute
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 16 (1-inch-thick) slices diagonally cut French bread baguette
- 1/4 cup butter, divided
- 2 cups water
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 cups fresh raspberries
- 1 cup fresh blackberries
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
- 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
Instructions
- Combine first 7 ingredients, stirring well with a whisk. Arrange the bread slices in a single layer in a large shallow dish. Pour milk mixture over bread, and let stand until milk is absorbed (about 2 minutes).
- Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Arrange 8 bread slices in pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until bread is golden brown. Remove from pan; keep warm. Repeat procedure with remaining 2 tablespoons butter and 8 bread slices.
- Combine 2 cups water, 1/4 cup maple syrup, and cornstarch in a large saucepan, stirring with a whisk. Bring to a boil; cook until reduced to 1 cup (about 5 minutes). Remove pan from heat. Add fruit to pan, stirring well to coat. Serve sauce with bread slices. Sprinkle each serving with powdered sugar.
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I'm Marie Poulin, thank you for stopping by my kitchen. I favor fresh, seasonal and local ingredients. I am passionate about Healthy Food!
This looks delicious! Can’t wait to try it. I love this technique of letting the bread sit in the custard mixture. It really does make the lighter version taste more rich and decadent. And with cinnamon and nutmeg?! Thank you!
You are welcome!