French Toast with Peaches and Wisconsin Mascarpone Cream
French toast:
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 1 tablespoon cardamom, ground
- Butter for cooking
- 12 slices high-quality white bread
- 1 cup water
- ¾ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger
- Butter for cooking
- 8 peaches, peeled and sliced
- 1 cup (8 ounces) heavy (whipping) cream
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 (8-ounce) container mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
Instructions:
You can make this dish for breakfast but it could be fancy enough for dessert too.
- For the French toast, combine the eggs, milk, and cardamom in a large bowl. Over medium heat, melt about 4 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet. Dip the bread slices into the mixture and fry a few slices for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Reserve in a warm place. Repeat until all the bread is used, adding more butter as necessary.
- For the syrup, combine the water, brown sugar, and ginger. Bring to a boil and simmer 5 minutes. Strain the syrup through a wire sieve. This step may be done in advance. In a sauté pan, melt a small portion of butter and sauté the peaches until just warm. Add the reserved ginger syrup and bring to a simmer. Turn off the heat.
- For the mascarpone cream, in a stainless steel bowl, whip the cream with the tablespoon of sugar and the vanilla extract until it has soft peaks.
- Place the cheese in a second bowl and blend in one third of the cream mixture. Add the remaining cream and blend. Avoid overmixing. Chill the cream until serving time.
- To serve the French toast, cut the toast slices diagonally and arrange on twelve plates. Spoon the peach compote onto the toast. Top with the cream.