Carolina AM Cooking: Hot Chocolate French Toast Recipe

Hot Chocolate French Toast

Serves: 4 people

I developed with recipe with the help of my Assistant Kitchen Manager Tyler.  One day I came into the kitchen and he says to me, “I made Hot Chocolate, do you want some?” Naturally, I said “Yes.”  As I was sipping on this creamy, delicious hot chocolate, I was thinking to myself, “This would make a delicious French Toast.” So, from that, the Hot Chocolate French Toast was born.

Hot Chocolate Custard

Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips 12 oz

Heavy Cream 2 cups

Milk 2 cups

Eggs 2 eggs

Cinnamon 1/4 tsp

Vanilla 1 tsp

Nutmeg pinch

Kosher Salt pinch

Brown Sugar 3 Tbl

White Bread, good quality 8 slices

Vegetable Oil as needed

Marshmallow Sauce

Milk 1/2 cup

Heavy Cream 1/2 cup

Sugar 1 Tbl

Butter 1 Tbl

Marshmallows, small 2 cups

Vanilla 1/4 tsp

1. Marshmallow Sauce:  Measure the marshmallows and butter in a medium glass or metal bowl and set aside.  In a small sauce pot, bring the milk, heavy cream, vanilla and sugar into a rolling boil and then pour over the marshmallows and butter.  Placing the pot back on the stove to use again for the hot chocolate.  Allow to sit for 2-3 minutes and then using a rubber spatula stir until smooth.  Reserve at room temperature until needed, stirring occasionally.
2. Pre-heat the oven to the lowest possible temperature.  Measure chocolate out and place in a glass or metal bowl.  In a small sauce pot, bring the 2 cups of heavy and 2 cups of milk to a rolling simmer.  Then carefully pour the milk mixture over the chips and stir until the chips are melted.  Then carefully pour the hot chocolate back into the pot and place back onto the stove and heat just until the hot chocolate starts to simmer.  Pour back into the bowl and place into the refrigerator or place the bowl into a larger bowl full of ice to cool down quickly, being carefully not to get any ice or water into your hot chocolate.  Reserve the pot to heat the remaining hot chocolate up during cooking if desired. If you want to heat the remaining of the hot chocolate back to temperature, start heating the liquid back up at this time, over a low to medium heat.
3. Once the hot chocolate, no hotter than 100 degrees, separate 3 cups of the hot chocolate into a separate bowl and stir in, with a whisk, the eggs, brown sugar, spices, salt & vanilla.
4. Dip the bread into the custard, making sure the entire slice of bread is submerged, then place on a plate.  Repeat with all the slices of bread.
5. Heat a large skillet pan with a touch of vegetable oil over a medium high heat.  Placing 2 slices of bread into the pan at a time.  Grill on each side for 2 minutes, checking the color of the bread, making sure the bread is not burning.  Once the french toast is grilled on both sides. Place on a oven safe pan, cover with aluminum and place in the oven.  Then repeat for the rest of the bread.
6. Once all the French Toast is ready, place 2-3 slices per person, drizzle with marshmallow sauce and serve with fresh Hot Chocolate.