French Toast with Fresh Raspberry Syrup

This is one recipe where white bread—a key to exceptional French toast—is preferable to whole-grain bread. The bread must be sturdy enough to maintain its texture (standard French bread will get too soggy), yet remain tender when cooked. If you have a local bakery, try using one of their signature white breads; at the grocery store, look for a country loaf that has not been sliced. The raspberry syrup makes a nice addition; if you don’t have the time to prepare it, simply serve this French toast with maple syrup or a favorite jam. Serves 6

1 cup drained water-packed soft tofu (about 8 ounces), crumbled

4 teaspoons arrowroot

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons ground flaxseeds

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt

⅛ teaspoon ground turmeric

1 cup plain unsweetened soy milk

⅓ cup high-heat sunflower or safflower oil, plus more for coating the pan

⅓ cup pure maple syrup

¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

12 (½-inch-thick) slices crusty country-style white sourdough bread

Fresh Raspberry Syrup (recipe follows)

Blend the tofu, arrowroot, baking powder, ground flaxseeds, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and turmeric in a food processor until smooth, stopping the machine oc- casionally to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl. Combine the soy milk, the ⅓ cup oil, maple syrup, and vanilla in a liquid measuring cup. With the food processor running, gradually pour the soy milk mixture through the feed tube and into the tofu mixture, blending until the mixture is smooth, and stopping the machine to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. Pour the batter onto a large rimmed baking sheet. Arrange the bread slices in a single layer in the batter and turn to coat. Set aside, turning the bread occasionally, for 30 minutes, or until the bread absorbs most of the batter.

Heat a large, heavy flat griddle pan over medium heat. Working in batches, brush a little oil over the griddle and grill the soaked bread until it is heated through and golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer the French toast to plates, spoon the raspberry syrup over, and serve.