Weekend breakfast – Try this recipe for Pain Perdu with blueberry-peach sauce

Pain Perdu, or French toast, is one of my favorite weekend breakfasts—especially in the summer, when local peaches and blueberries are in good supply. They make the perfect sauce, acting as a slightly tangy foil to the sweet, fried bread.

A day or two before you make the Pain Perdu, grab a baguette and allow it to get slightly stale. This will help the bread better absorb the wet batter and will give you a nicer texture. Top the finished product with the fruity sauce, some confectioner’s sugar and serve with a side of smoky applewood bacon or country sausage.

Serves 4-6
For the pain perdu:
4 eggs
1 cup milk or buttermilk
˝ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 baguette, preferably day-old, sliced into rounds 1-inch thick
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons butter
For garnish: confectioner’s sugar, ground cinnamon and sprigs of fresh mint

Whisk eggs, milk and vanilla extract in a bowl. Arrange baguette slices in a 9×13 pan in a single layer and pour egg mixture over bread, ensuring each piece is coated. Turn pieces, ensuring batter is evenly distributed. Heat oil and butter in a non-stick skillet to medium-high heat and fry bread for about 2-3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Arrange on plate and top with powdered sugar, ground cinnamon and sauce.

For the blueberry-peach sauce:
1 cup blueberries, washed
4 ripe peaches, peeled, pitted and sliced
˝ cup sugar
˝ cup water
1 teaspoon cornstarch

In a medium saucepan, combine all ingredients over medium heat, gently stirring to combine flavors but still allowing fruit to maintain shape. Once sugar is thoroughly blended, about 3 minutes, it’s ready to use. Pour on top of Pain Perdu like syrup, or serve on the side.