BANANA and RICOTTA FRENCH TOAST

The smell of French toast cooking in our house means it’s the weekend. On weekdays, it’s all about getting everyone out the door as smoothly as possible, but weekends mean we can take our time a little more and enjoy this treat of a breakfast.

Preparation Time 5 minutes, plus soaking | Cooking Time 10 minutes | Serves 4

3 eggs

100 ml (3½ fl oz) milk

300 g (10½ oz) firm ricotta

1 tablespoon icing (confectioners’) sugar, sieved

1 tablespoon brown sugar

Scraped seeds of ½ vanilla bean or ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Finely grated zest of 1 orange

Pinch of ground cinnamon, plus extra to serve

8 thick slices of brioche or soft white bread

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon butter

4 bananas, peeled and thickly sliced

Maple syrup, to serve

Preheat the oven to 180˚C (350˚F). Whisk the eggs and milk in a bowl to combine, then pour into a baking tray.

Mix the ricotta, sugars, vanilla, orange zest, cinnamon and a pinch of sea salt in a bowl to combine, then spread the mixture thickly over half the bread slices and sandwich with the remaining bread slices. Place the bread in the egg mixture and stand to soak for about 1–2 minutes, then carefully turn and soak the remaining side.

Heat the oil and butter in a large frying pan over a medium heat until the butter is foaming. Add the sandwich stacks to the pan, making sure to drain off any excess egg mixture, and cook for about 1–2 minutes or until golden brown on the base. Carefully turn and cook on the remaining side for a further 1–2 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer to a baking tray lined with baking paper and bake for 3–4 minutes until warmed through.

Serve hot, topped with sliced banana, scattered with a little cinnamon and drizzled with maple syrup.