SUGAR-CRUSTED FRENCH TOAST WITH HONEYED APPLES

Sugar-Crusted French Toast with Honeyed Apples image

Yield Makes 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 19

Poached apples
3 cups water
1/2 cup honey
1/3 cup sugar
4 3x1/2-inch strips orange peel
4 3x1/2-inch strips lemon peel
2 whole star anise*
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
3 medium apples (such as Braeburn or Golden Delicious), peeled, halved, cored
French toast
6 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
31/2 cups whole milk
2/3 cup plus 8 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 4x4x1-inch slices egg bread
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter

Steps:

For poached apples:
Combine first 7 ingredients in heavy large saucepan. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean. Bring to boil over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 5 minutes. Add apples; cover and simmer until tender, about 12 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer apples to bowl. Boil syrup in saucepan until reduced to 1 1/4 cups, about 10 minutes. Add syrup to bowl with apples. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before using.)
For french toast:
Whisk eggs, yolks, milk, 2/3 cup sugar, vanilla, and salt in 15x10x2-inch baking dish. Place bread in single layer in egg mixture; spoon egg mixture over bread and let stand until soaked through, about 3 minutes.
Melt 3 tablespoons butter in each of 2 large nonstick skillets over medium heat. Sprinkle each skillet with 2 tablespoons sugar. Add 3 bread slices to each skillet; cook until deep golden on bottom, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle top of bread slices with sugar, using 2 tablespoons for each skillet; turn slices over and cook until deep golden on bottom, about 3 minutes. Transfer French toast to plates. Place 1 apple half alongside each serving. Drizzle French toast with some of syrup from apples and serve.
*Brown star-shaped seedpods sold at Asian markets and specialty foods stores and in the spice section of some supermarkets.