In the Name of Good Taste: French Toast, Strawberries and Cream

Last night I made my favorite yeast bread. It's an Italian bread recipe that I use for just about everything. Some of my favorites include: Parmesan bread sticks, Braided herb bread and Cinnamon rolls with cream cheese frosting. I'll do a post on this heavenly bread soon. But until then you'll have to be content with dreaming about its goodness. With half of the loaf leftover from last night's dinner I knew just the Sunday lunch I wanted to make. French toast with strawberries and sweetened whip cream. I love the combination of cinnamon, freshly ground cloves and vanilla so used that for my egg mixture.

Serves 4

French Toast
3 eggs
5-6 cloves freshly ground or about 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon milk
1 tablespoon butter
12 slices Italian bread sliced to desired thickness (I go about 1/2-3/4 inches thick)

Whisk the eggs, ground cloves, cinnamon, vanilla and milk in a shallow bowl until well blended. Meanwhile add butter to your favorite skillet or griddle. If using your stove keep the heat between medium and medium-high. If using an electric griddle the heat should about 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Dip sliced bread into egg mixture and add to skillet when the butter sizzles. Flip when bead is golden brown on the skillet side down.

Whipped Cream
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 to 1 tablespoon powdered sugar

Using an electric hand mixer or whisk, beat cream until slightly thickened (like a creamy soup). Add vanilla and powdered sugar. Depending on how sweet you want your cream you may want to start with just 1/2 tablespoon of powdered sugar. Taste mixture and add more sugar as desired. Continue beating until stiff peaks form.

*Tip: Freezing your bowl for a few minutes before adding the cream will shorten your whipping time.

Serve French toast with sliced strawberries, whipped cream and syrup if desired.