Delicious Breakfast Treat from JLGNF's "At Your Service" Cookbook

Back to school means back to rushed morning routines for many of us. So why not slow down this weekend and enjoy a delicious and decadent breakfast treat?  Pain Perdu from At Your Service (p 46 ) is a simple and quick recipe that provides a tasty beginning to your day.

Pain perdu or "lost bread" in French, is a great way to reclaim stale or "lost" bread. The hard bread is softened by dipping in a mixture of egg, milk, sugar, cinnamon and vanilla. The slices cut on a bias are pan-fried in butter and traditionally dusted with powdered sugar and served with jam or syrup on the side.

JLGNF’s Taste Test Kitchen used french bread in the recipe and sliced it about 1 inch thick.  The egg mixture actually coats more than six slices of bread.  Another variation to this recipe that is equally as good is to slice the bread into 2 inch thick slices and then create a “pocket” by slicing that in half (but not all the way through). Fill each pocket with softened cream cheese and your favorite preserves, then proceed according to the recipe.

1 egg    

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons sugar

1 cup of milk      

½ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup (1 stick) butter or margarine

6 slices white, wheat or pumpernickel bread

Beat the egg, vanilla, sugar, milk, cinnamon and salt in a medium mixing bowl.  Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  Dip the bread slices in the egg mixture until soaked through.  Place in the skillet in a single layer.  Cook on both sides until golden brown.  Serve with your favorite syrup.

Thanks to Ina Allen for taste testing this recipe!

“I joined the league because I had been a collector of Junior League cookbooks for many years and one day decided to look into what the Junior League, which publishes some awesome cookbooks,  was all about.  I looked for a location that was close to home and found this to be closest to my home.  The Mission Statement on voluntarism and being involved in the community is what got me excited about joining.” - Ina Allen, JLGNF Member

Visit www.jlgnf.org to purchase At Your Service for more delicious recipes and support JLGNF’s program for “Strong Girls, Bright Futures.”

Interested in joining our league?  Email recruiting@jlgnf.org to learn more!