French toast a step above the rest

It is probable that the lemon is the most valuable of all fruit for preserving health.”

Maud Grieve

What is vanilla bean paste?

Vanilla bean paste is made by blending concentrated vanilla extract and vanilla bean powder, creating a paste with a maple syrup-like consistency that contains flecks from the pod and has a more intense flavor than extract.

Evidently you can buy it already made, but I couldn’t find it locally and didn’t have time to order it online so I decided to look for ways to make it.

I found a recipe online for Homemade Vanilla Bean Paste at dessertswithbenefits.com but it made two cups and required 30 vanilla beans. Well I knew I didn’t need two cups and I also knew that I couldn’t afford 30 vanilla beans. Have you priced vanilla beans lately? Jeez! I only bought two and I don’t want Hubby knowing what I paid for them.

Anyway, the recipe called for vanilla beans, vanilla extract and agave nectar. So I just used some good old-fashioned fifth grade long division of the listed ingredient amounts to determine the amount I needed. If you have any left over, store the vanilla bean paste in the fridge.

I handled the vanilla beans just like I’ve seen before on TV. With a sharp knife blade, make a long cut, lengthwise, down the bean. Using your thumbs, gently pull the pod open and then hold open with the thumb and index finger of one hand while your other hand uses the blade of the knife to gently scrape the beans lengthwise, down and away from the inside of the pod.

I’ll be honest with you. It was considerably more difficult than they make it look on TV and it makes a bit of a mess. However, once you combine it with the vanilla extract and the agave nectar and make your vanilla bean paste, it tastes so excellent that it’s worth every bit of the hassle. I promise.

Agave nectar can be found in a plastic, squeeze bottle on the same aisle as the sugar.

As a child, I think I could have eaten my weight in French toast. I remember many a Saturday morning when me, my little brother and our baby sister were splayed out on pallets on the living room floor watching cartoons while our sweet mother made slice after slice of French toast just to our individual liking, much like a short-order cook. My brother preferred his with butter and syrup. Finding the syrup cloyingly sweet for my taste, I preferred mine with butter and powdered sugar, and the more powdered sugar, the better. I loved the distinct taste made by the combination of the warm, salty, melted butter and the powdered sugar.

I honestly couldn’t tell you the last time I ate French toast. As an adult, my tastes veer in the savory direction, such as bacon and eggs with salt and lots of pepper. However, when I recently saw Jeff Mauro, one of the hosts of “The Kitchen,” one of my favorite shows on the Food Network, make something called Lemon Blueberry French Toast Bake, I found myself intrigued.

Lemon and blueberry are two items that pair perfectly. When you eat them together they each seem to elevate the flavor of the other. Kind of like when you combine tomatoes, garlic and basil. Certain ingredient combinations are just so perfect together that, if you’re like me, you get to the point where you just can’t imagine one without the other.

This dish is a multi-step process. You’ll need to assemble it the night before you plan on serving it, as it needs to be refrigerated for at least eight hours before baking. I promise you though, it will be well worth your efforts. I enjoyed a bowl of it with a fresh hot cup of coffee and found it so delightful that I immediately scooped up a second bowl of it to deliver to one of my friends at her office. It’s that good!

Lemon Blueberry French Toast Bake

By Jeff Mauro

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing
• ¾ cup maple syrup, plus more for serving 
• 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste, divided (See note below)
• One 12-ounce package Hawaiian slider rolls 
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest 
• 1 pint fresh blueberries
• ¾ cup whole milk 
• ½ cup heavy cream 
• ½ cup sugar 
• 3 large eggs 
• Kosher salt
• 4 pieces cooked bacon, finely chopped, for garnish

Grease an 8-inch square baking dish with butter.

Add the butter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and whip on medium speed for 1 minute. With the mixer running, slowly pour in the maple syrup and 1 teaspoon of the vanilla bean paste and whip until completely combined. Transfer to a serving bowl and reserve.

Keep the rolls intact and slice across the equator to create 1 large top and 1 large bottom roll. Place the bottom roll in the baking dish, then spread with 2 tablespoons of the maple butter. Sprinkle with the lemon zest and half of the blueberries and top with the top roll.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, cream, sugar, eggs, remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste and a pinch of salt. Pour the mixture over the rolls. Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 40 to 45 minutes. Remove the foil, then continue to bake until golden brown, about 10 more minutes.

Arrange scoops of the maple butter on top and sprinkle with the bacon and remaining  blueberries. Serve with additional maple syrup if desired.

My notes:

• Place your square Pyrex dish on a foil-lined sheet pan to collect any leakage. I didn’t do this and I regretted it. Some of the sweet juices overflowed and made a mess of the bottom of my stove. Ugh.

• This is hot, sweet, ooey-gooey goodness at its finest. Eat it while it’s still warm.

• Don’t skip the bacon. It adds just the right amount of salty and crunchy that’s needed to offset the sweet, ooey-gooey factor.