Recipe: Banana-Almond French Toast

There's no escaping it. Autumn is definitely upon us. The leaves have been shaken from the trees and the deliciously telling scent of woodsmoke is hanging in the now decidedly chilly air.

For many of us here in the weather-beaten UK, the happy-go-lucky spirit of summer has headed south for the winter along with the birds, as we button our coats and grudgingly flick the 'on' switch for the central heating. But for me, there's a certain beauty to the colder months of the year. Bonfires, snow (if we're lucky), and cosying up on the sofa in your fluffiest knitwear with a great book in your hand or movie on the TV, supping from a delicious mug of hot chocolate. Throw in a log cabin, a real wood fire, a couple of cats and a blanket, and you have my idea of heaven.

Anyway, cold mornings deserve the most heartwarming of breakfasts, and few could be better than the sweet, sticky comfort of this banana and almond (or, as my husband calls it 'banalmond') french toast.

So, grab a whisk and a bowl for this easy and quick recipe, and treat yourself to a great start this weekend!

Ingredient (makes 4-6 slices)

4-6 slices of thick-cut gluten free white bread (I used Udi's White Bloomer)
250ml whole milk or lactose-free alternative. Almond milk would work VERY well!
2 large eggs
1tsp vanila extract
1tsp almond extract
3tbsp sieved icing sugar
50g flaked almonds
2-3 knobs unsalted butter
3 ripe bananas

Method

Pour the milk, eggs, extracts and 2tbsp of icing sugar into a wide, flat bowl. Whisk well. Take the slices of bread and leave them in the liquid for around 3 minutes on each side, until they've absorbed all the lovely flavours.

Heat a frying pan on a meduim heat, and add a knob of butter. Take each slice out, on at a time, and coat both sides with the flaked almonds, before placing in the frying pan. While the slices are cooking, peel and chop a banana, dust with a little icing sugar, and pop into the pan next to the bread to caramelise. Leave each slice for 4-5 minutes, and carefully turn.

When each side has turned a beautiful golden brown and the banana chunks are soft, remove from the pan and place on a plate. Top with the bananas and serve immediately, or leave in a warm oven until the remaining slices and bananas are cooked.

Serve topped with a dusting of icing sugar, golden syrup or maple syrup for a delicious, warm start to the day. Perfect with a cup of tea or coffee.

If you've tried this recipe, please tell me what you thought of it. Did you like it? Did you hate it? Did you make any changes? Did you try a different fruit? Feel free to add any comments below!