Yields Serves 4
Time: 45 minutes. The luscious sauce makes this French toast taste like sticky toffee pudding. (Put leftover sauce on ice cream.)

How to Make It

Step 1
1

Prepare sauce: Melt unsalted butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in brown sugar until well blended, then bring to a boil. Boil until sugar dissolves, 5 to 8 minutes. Carefully stir in cream (mixture may spatter) and pecans; reduce heat to low.

Step 2
2

Make French toast: In a large shallow bowl, whisk together eggs, nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla, and orange liqueur.

Step 3
3

Heat a large cast-iron skillet or nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Melt 1 tbsp. salted butter in skillet, tipping pan to coat. Quickly dip bread, 1 piece at a time, into egg batter, coating both sides but not drenching. Lay bread in skillet and repeat with remaining bread. Cook until golden brown, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes; then flip, add remaining 1 tbsp. butter, and cook until second side is golden brown, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes more.

Step 4
4

Transfer French toast to plates, top with some of warm toffee sauce, and serve remaining sauce on the side.

Step 5
5

Make ahead: Sauce keeps up to 2 days, covered and chilled (reheat in a microwave oven).

Ingredients

  Sauce
 1 cup unsalted butter
 1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
 1/2 cup roughly chopped pecans
  French toast
 8 large eggs
 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, preferably freshly grated
 1 teaspoon cinnamon
 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
 3 tablespoons orange-flavored liqueur (such as Grand Marnier) or orange juice
 2 tablespoons salted butter
 8 thick slices (1 in.) brioche (about 1 lb.)

Directions

Step 1
1

Prepare sauce: Melt unsalted butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in brown sugar until well blended, then bring to a boil. Boil until sugar dissolves, 5 to 8 minutes. Carefully stir in cream (mixture may spatter) and pecans; reduce heat to low.

Step 2
2

Make French toast: In a large shallow bowl, whisk together eggs, nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla, and orange liqueur.

Step 3
3

Heat a large cast-iron skillet or nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Melt 1 tbsp. salted butter in skillet, tipping pan to coat. Quickly dip bread, 1 piece at a time, into egg batter, coating both sides but not drenching. Lay bread in skillet and repeat with remaining bread. Cook until golden brown, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes; then flip, add remaining 1 tbsp. butter, and cook until second side is golden brown, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes more.

Step 4
4

Transfer French toast to plates, top with some of warm toffee sauce, and serve remaining sauce on the side.

Step 5
5

Make ahead: Sauce keeps up to 2 days, covered and chilled (reheat in a microwave oven).

Toffee French Toast with Pecans

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