I really wanted to participate in Danielle and Robin’s Recipe Remix this time around, since I didn’t get a chance to the first time. I think this is such a great idea because really, what do most creative cooks do but remix some sort of existing dish to make it more appealing, more delicious and more personal to them. The theme this time around was breakfast.
I wanted to do something Greek-inspired and I started thinking that pretty much every Greek desert has some sort of simple syrup-based liquid in it, which makes it perfect for breakfast. You already have your syrup! I decided to go with what is probably the most famous Greek desssert–baklava–and make a baklava French….I mean, Greek….toast. French toast is probably my favorite breakfast item.
I made the typical baklava filling and sandwiched that in some tsoureki (Greek Easter bread). This is a loaf I got from my grandma but if you want to make your own, there are several Greek bloggers who have made it. Then, I made the baklava syrup which is essentially honey, sugar, and water. You can add some lemon rind or a cinnamon stick, too, if you’d like.
I wish I could make this look as good as it tasted. Unfortunately, my loaf of tsoureki was not really French toast material. It was a loaf my grandma made me over Easter, which I then I froze (I had eaten too much tsoureki in a 3 day period!), but it was a very small loaf. You couldn’t make normal slices from it (because it was only a couple inches high) so I had to slice it the long way which made for some interesting slices and some falling apart. Oh well!
There isn’t much of a recipe because the only things I truly measured were the syrup ingredients but the process is below.
Baklava French Toast
Crush some walnuts in a food processor and stir in some cinnamon and cloves to taste.
In a small saucepan, bring equal parts sugar, water and honey to a boil (and lemon rind/cinnamon stick if you want). Thicken it by simmering for a bit.
Slice your bread (challah or brioche would also be great here) and spoon the walnut mixture over half the slices. Place the remaining slices on top of the ones with the walnut mixture, basically making walnut sandwiches.
Make your standard French toast mixture, including a beaten eggs and some milk or cream. You can add some vanilla and cinnamon, too, if you’d like. Pour the mixture into a dish big enough to hold your sandwiches and layer them in there. Let them soak for a couple minutes before flipping (carefully…I lost some of my mixture here due to poor bread cutting and flipping) and soaking them on the other side.
Melt some butter in a nonstick skillet or griddle. Add the Greek toast and cook for a couple minutes per side, until golden.
Top with the syrup and some cinnamon, if you’d like.
Nutritional Information Per Serving: I am SO not going there. ;)
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Wow! This looks amazing! I love French toast and it looks like I am going to love this Greek (french) toast. :) Is there somewhere in Chicago to get this Greek Easter Bread?
Hi Katie! You can find tsoureki at the bakeries in Greektown (Halsted and Adams-ish) and there is also a shop just north of Lincoln Square that I know carries it, on Lawrence, just west of Rockwell (I think it’s called Hellas). I think they are usually only available around Easter. You could also use an eggy bread like challah if you wanted to make this before then!