These buttery brioche french toast sandwiches are filled with creamy vanilla-infused ricotta. Fried until soft and golden, this epic brunch is rounded off with luscious, plump verjuice apricots.
Ingredients
- 50 grams dried apricots
- 1 cup verjuice
- 1 lemon
- 1 cup caster sugar
- 2 sprigs thyme
- 1 vanilla bean, split lengthways, seeds scraped
- 1 cup firm fresh ricotta
- 8 slices day-old brioche
- 1/3 cup apricot jam
- 6 eggs
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
Instructions
PLACE apricots and verjuice in a pot. Bring to a boil over medium heat, once boiling, remove from heat. Stand, covered, for 20 minutes or until apricots are plump.
REMOVE rind from the lemon in long thin strips using a zesting tool or peeler, you need 1 tablespoon of rind. Juice the lemon.
ADD rind, lemon juice, sugar, thyme, ½ of a vanilla bean with seeds to apricots in the pot. Bring to a boil, stirring, over medium heat. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes or until thickened and syrupy.
COMBINE ricotta and remaining vanilla seeds in a bowl.
CUT eight 1.5 cm thick slices from brioche and place on a clean work surface. Spread four slices with jam and spread remaining slices with the ricotta mixture. Sandwich the slices closed to make four sandwiches.
HEAT oil in a large non-stick pan over medium heat.
WHISK eggs and milk in a bowl. Soak one sandwich in the egg mixture for 30–60 seconds on each side. Place in the heated pan, reduce heat to low. Cook for 2½ minutes on each side or until well browned and heated through. Transfer to a plate and keep warm. Repeat with remaining sandwiches.
SERVE French toast sandwiches topped with apricots and syrup.
Notes
Tip from the team: Cooking the sandwiches over low heat ensures the outside doesn’t over-brown before the inside is cooked.
