Challah French Toast

I LOVE challah bread. My first memory of it was in seventh grade when my social studies teacher brought loaves of it to our class while we watched Topol sing in "Fiddler on the Roof."

Source

It was our "ancient civilizations" year and all I could think of was how cool it was to be watching a musical (one film genre which I happen to love) about a Jewish family and eating Jewish food. The community I grew up in had several synagogues and there were always several Jewish kids at my school, so it was nothing new to me, but I still thought it was cool that people could take the day off from school for their holidays and eat special food :) I fell in love with challah bread right then and there and think of it as a treat to this day.

However, now whenever I have challah bread I think and say "hollaaaaa" to myself because it cracks me up. I know it's terribly inappropriate but I can't help it. I took a year of Biblical Hebrew while I was in seminary and every time I was in class I would think the same thing when we'd write or practice pronouncing the Hebrew characters, so I know I'm not the only one who does it :)

ANYWAY...you're not here to read about my ancient language antics in seminary, so I'll move right along to the recipe for you.

Challah bread makes fantastic French toast because of all the eggs in the batter. It's super fluffy and absorbs all that French toasty goodness right up. Enjoy it this weekend topped with fresh fruit, powdered sugar and maple syrup for a fabulous brunch.

Slice up your bread (day-old is best). Look at all that fluffy happiness. Can you tell I love the word fluffy? :)

Whisk away your egg whites, milk, cinnamon, and vanilla.

Take your challah bread swimming.

Cook in your preheated, cooking-sprayed skillet until golden brown. Try not to stick your head in the pan before it's done.

Now that's what I'm talking about. Don't forget to cook the leftover egg whites and dump them in the middle of your French toast for the extra protein :) YUM!

Challah French Toast - adapted from Whole Foods

Serves 2 very hungry people or 3 normal hungry people

Ingredients:

• 3 egg whites
• 3/4 cup low- or non-fat milk (I used skim, but almond or soy would be good too)
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• half a loaf of challah bread, sliced into 1-inch thick pieces
• toppings: powdered sugar, maple syrup and fresh fruit

Directions:

• In a shallow bowl, whisk together egg whites, milk, vanilla and cinnamon.
• Spray your skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium heat on your stove.
• Working with 4-5 slices at a time, dip in the egg mixture, turn to coat thoroughly, and gently shake off the excess.
• Cook slices in a single layer in your skillet until golden brown, and flip and repeat on the other side (2-3 minutes per side).
• Transfer to a plate and stick 'em in your microwave to keep warm.
• Repeat with remaining bread slices.
• Dust with powdered sugar, top with fruit and maple syrup, and enjoy!