This was inspired by our visit to the Blue Fox cafe, in Victoria, British Columbia. Read about the Blue Fox and other Vancouver Island dining experiences in the March 5th edition of the Foodie Gazette. It’s my approximation of the dish I didn’t order but wish I had!
The French Toast:
2 eggs
1/2 t salt
2-3 t sugar
2/3 C milk or soymilk
1 t vanilla or orange extract
4-6 slices of whole-wheat bread
Butter for browning
Beat together the eggs, salt, sugar, milk, and extract(s). I used vanilla soymilk, which is somewhat sweet, so I only used a small amount of sugar. With the addition of orange extract, the batter has a slightly tropical, slightly creamsicle flavor. Dip the slices of bread in the batter and fry them in butter on a griddle. Keep warm in a low oven.
The Topping:
1 T butter
1/2 C chopped nuts — pecans, almonds, macadamia nuts, or hazelnuts
1-2 bananas, sliced
1/2 C dried cherries, cranberries, or golden raisins
3 T rum or orange juice
Saute the nuts in the butter until they smell fragrant and toasted. Add the bananas and saute for another couple of minutes. Throw in the dried fruit, stir it around, and then splash in rum or orange juice. Cook and stir for a minute or two, until heated through.
The Presentation:
Powdered sugar
Cocoa powder
Whipped cream
Place 2 or 3 pieces of French toast on a plate. Spoon the topping over the toast. Using a wire strainer, sift powdered sugar and cocoa powder over the top. Garnish with small dollops of whipped cream.