Lately, I've been having a serious craving for French toast. I don't crave it often but when I do, I can't stop thinking about it until I actually have it. Instead of dreaming about french toast for weeks, I decided to whip up a batch. But instead of regular old french toast, I decided to make an extra special batch. This jasmine milk tea french toast with roasted grapes and mascarpone is what I call, the perfect way to wake up.
Jasmine Milk Tea French Toast
Ingredients
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup milk
- 6 tablespoons loose jasmine tea leaves
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 5 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 8 thick slices brioche bread
- butter as needed
- 1 lb seedless grapes
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 ounces mascarpone
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Combine heavy cream, milk, and jasmine tea in a heavy bottomed pot. Bring to a simmer over low heat and heat for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and let sit for 1 hour. Strain tea leaves and discard, reserving infused cream.
- Place grapes in cast iron pan. Cut 2 tablespoons butter into small chunks and place on top. Sprinkle brown sugar on top of grapes and roast for 25 minutes, flipping grapes over halfway through. Remove grapes from pan and add 1 tablespoon honey to remaining juices. Bring to a simmer over low heat for 1 minute or until juices become syrupy. Remove from heat and keep warm.
- Whisk together tea infused cream with vanilla, eggs, and 1 tablespoon sugar. Dip bread slices in batter, making sure to coat both sides.
- Heat griddle over medium heat and melt about 1 tablespoon butter. Cook french toast until golden brown on both sides, about 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat and place on serving platter. Top french toast with roasted grapes, a dollop of mascarpone, and syrup. Serve immediately.
**Helpful tips and common mistakes
I love incorporating tea into desserts. Earl grey and hojicha are my top two favorite tea flavors but since I already have a few desserts with both, I wanted to try something different. And then I saw a friend share an image of jasmine milk tea french toast and I knew I had to recreate it.
Like most of my infused tea recipes, I decided to do the same with this jasmine milk tea french toast. In order to get that lovely jasmine tea flavor, you have to first heat heavy cream and milk with the tea.
Bring the mixture to a simmer over low heat; don't boil the cream or it will curdle. You just want it warm enough to bring out the tea flavor. Then, turn off the flames and let the cream sit for an hour.
Now, the type of tea will make a huge difference in the flavor. Every brand varies so you may need to adjust the amount according to the tea you use. My tea was more subtle so I used 6 tablespoons. Yes, 6 tablespoons is a lot but remember, you're going to mix this with other ingredients so you want an intense flavor.
While the tea is steeping, prepare the grapes. When fall comes around, I get excited for cooler days but also a little sad about missing the summer fruits. But then I remember, grapes! And what could be better than fresh grapes? Roasted grapes!
All you have to do is place the grapes in a cast iron with butter and brown sugar. I kept some of the grapes on the vine for aesthetics but you can remove all of the vines.
Rotate the grapes about halfway through to make sure all sides get that lovely char. Then, remove the grapes from the pan and simmer the remaining juices with a touch of honey to make a syrup.
If you don't have a cast iron pan, you can roast the grapes on a baking sheet. Then, pour all of the remaining juices into a pan and simmer with the honey.
Make sure to keep the syrup warm otherwise, it will solidify.
Now, whisk the infused cream with the remaining french toast batter ingredients. Dip thick slices of brioche into the batter, making sure to really let it absorb the batter. If you're not a fan of brioche bread, you can use french toast, regular white bread, challah, or even croissants.
Heat a griddle or nonstick saute pan with a pat of butter and cook the french toast until golden brown on both sides.
If the pan gets too dry, add more butter. As they say, the more butter, the better!
Stack that jasmine milk tea french toast on a plate, top it with the roasted grapes, place a dollop of mascarpone on top and serve with syrup.
Boy, where do I begin? The flavors here are truly something special. The roasted grapes are intense, almost like raisins but not quite. Pair them with the creamy mascarpone and wonderfully subtle jasmine milk tea french toast and it's heaven. This was truly a wonderful breakfast.
For more french toast inspiration check out this overnight gingerbread french toast!
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