Paw-Paw’s Pain Perdu with Vanilla-Infused Figs, a recipe by Amber Wilson from For the Love of the South, is a rich, custardy French toast made with challah bread, warm spices, and a touch of honey. Served with tender, vanilla-simmered figs, this classic Louisiana dish is sweet, comforting, and perfect for a special brunch.
Paw-Paw’s Pain Perdu with Vanilla-Infused Figs
Author: Amber Wilson, from For the Love of the South (Harper Design, 2018)
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients
- ½ cup whole milk
- 3 large eggs
- ⅓ cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pinch kosher salt
- 8 (½-inch-thick) slices challah bread
- Sunflower oil
- Confectioners’ sugar
- Vanilla-Infused Figs (recipe follows)
Instructions
- Place an ovenproof serving plate in oven. Preheat oven to lowest possible setting.
- In a shallow dish, whisk together milk, eggs, brown sugar, honey, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. Place 2 slices of bread in mixture.
- Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Coat bottom of skillet with oil.
- Turn bread slices in milk mixture, and let stand for 30 seconds. Place both slices of soaked bread in skillet. Immediately place 2 more slices of bread into milk mixture to soak.
- Cook soaked bread until deeply golden; turn, and cook until deeply golden. Turn slices that are soaking in milk mixture. (Reduce heat if you notice bread browning too quickly.)
- Place cooked pain perdu onto preheated serving plate, and keep warm in oven.
- Add more oil to skillet, and repeat soaking and cooking of bread slices until all are golden. Dust pain perdu with confectioners’ sugar, and serve with Vanilla-Infused Figs.
Vanilla-Infused Figs
Makes about 3 cups
Ingredients
- 2 cups hot water
- ¼ cup superfine vanilla sugar
- ¼ cup raw cane sugar
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- Pinch kosher salt
- Pinch ground cinnamon
- 1 pound fresh figs, stems pinched off
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, combine 2 cups water, sugars, lemon juice, salt, and cinnamon. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat; reduce heat to low, and let come to a simmer. Add figs, and partially cover with lid. (Syrup will be quite thin and light.) Simmer, gently stirring occasionally, being careful not to pop fig skins, for 30 minutes. (Figs will puff up like balloons as they simmer.)
