Saturday, January 14, 2012

Panatone French Toast with Roasted Balsamic Strawberries


Christmas was a feast of deliciousness, but one thing we never got around to eating was panatone.  So we were quite thrilled to find them on super special at our local supermarket.

Normally we eat slices with custard and ice cream, or Mum makes a super bread and butter pudding but today I decided to make it into french toast.  I added some cinnamon and both vanilla sugar and vanilla extract to complement the spices already in the panatone.  To accompany the french toast I roasted some balsamic strawberries.  The tartness of the balsamic and the intense strawberry flavour was an excellent match for the sweet spiciness of the french toast.

A great way to start the day.



Panatone French Toast with Roasted Balsamic Strawberries

Panatone French Toast
2 thick slices of panatone (cut in half to 4 pieces)
2 eggs
A teaspoon of vanilla extract
A large tablespoon of castor sugar (I used vanilla sugar)
A sprinkle of cinnamon

Whisk together the eggs, sugar and cinnamon.  Soak the panatone slices in the mix.  If you can, leave for 5 or 10 minutes to really absorb.  It will get really soft so be careful when you pick it up to fry.

Heat a frypan over a medium heat.  Melt a little butter and fry the panatone slices.  You want to cook relatively slowly so that the egg cooks right through.

Serve with balsamic strawberries or maple syrup.


Roasted Balsamic Strawberries
Wash and hull strawberries.  Sprinkle thickly with castor sugar and drizzle with balsamic vinegar.  Roast at 180 degrees for about 10-15 minutes.

They are great with the french toast or on their own with vanilla icecream for a simple tasty dessert.

6 comments:

  1. I've actually never had panatone...but you may have converted me to it with taste untried :)

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  2. Kari it is great. Think of it as somewhere between hot cross buns and a maderia cake. The one we had was quite orange-y too.

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  3. I have a giant panatone sitting in my kitchen looking a bit useless, but now I know just what I will do with it. Thanks for the recipe!

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  4. Z you are most welcome. It also makes awesome bread and butter pudding. Just a normal recipe but substitute the bread part with slices of panatone.

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  5. mmmm beautiful! I have fond memories of toasting panatone and slathering it in butter after christmas. This looks equally delicious. Actually it exceeds it, clearly - roasted balsamic strawberries? yes please!!
    Heidi xo

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  6. Heidi - oh yeah, roasted balsamic strawberries are delectable. This was actually the first time I had made them and not eaten them with ice-cream. I'm imagining all sorts of possibilities for them now.

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