French Toast Panini with Grilled Bananas
Pat: French toast is one of my greatest loves. I like mine made with thick slices of white bread and a rich egg-and-milk batter with a kiss of cinnamon, and topped with lots of maple syrup. I also love to have a couple of over-easy eggs alongside. Gina is always saying to me, “Why you gotta fry eggs? There are eggs in the batter!” Gina: I’m not sure if the French were the ones who made this toast famous, but I’m sure they would love what I’ve done to it: turned it into a sandwich! Everyone knows two pieces of French toast are better than one, and the only thing better than two pieces of French toast is two pieces with something sweet sandwiched in between! How about bananas? Then you take the whole thing and cook it on a panini press. The hot grill makes for an irresistibly crispy version of a morning classic, and it creates grooves that collect plenty of butter and maple syrup. You love peanut butter? Consider making a peanut-butter-banana French-toast sandwich. (Peanut butter was my protein staple during both my pregnancies.) The possibilities, girl, are endless. Bread that is a day or two old works best for this recipe, because it holds up better on the grill.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 6
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Whisk together the eggs, milk, cream, juice, vanilla, cognac, granulated sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a bowl; set aside.
Step 2
Place the bread in a shallow baking dish large enough to hold the bread slices in a single layer. Pour the egg mixture over the bread, and soak for 10 minutes.
Step 3
While the bread is soaking, heat a panini grill to high. Brush the bananas evenly with the melted butter. Place the bananas on the grill, lightly close the cover (do not press the cover down tightly or you’ll have banana mush), and grill for about 3 minutes, until the bananas have nice grill marks and are beginning to release their juices. Use a spatula to transfer the bananas to a plate, then use a paper towel to wipe the panini grill clean. When the bananas are cool enough to handle, cut them into 1/2-inch-thick slices.
Step 4
Preheat the oven to 200°F.
Step 5
Remove a piece of bread from the egg mixture, allowing any excess moisture to drip off. Place the bread on a cutting board, top with four or five banana slices, then top with another piece of bread. Brush the panini grill lightly with vegetable oil, place the sandwich on the grill, press the top closed, and grill for 3 to 4 minutes, until crisp. Transfer the sandwich to a baking sheet, and keep warm in the oven while you grill the remaining sandwiches.
Step 6
To serve, slice the panini in half diagonally, and serve warm with a dusting of confectioners’ sugar and plenty of maple syrup on the side.
