Coconut bread, also known as “cocktail bread” (gai may bao in Cantonese), is readily available at Chinese bakeries and grocery stores (like T&T). This sweet-tasting bread is perfect for making French toast, which is what we did on Christmas Day. As I didn’t really feel like using a skillet, I decided to bake mine. I scoured the Internet for an easy recipe and decided to adapt one I found on Martha Stewart’s website. It’s been “Cynthia-fied” as I replaced/changed many of the ingredients.
What you need:
- Two large whole eggs
- Two large egg whites
- 3/4 cups of skim or 1% milk
- 1/2 tablespoons of vanilla extract
- Six to eight slices of coconut bread (depending on the size)
- 1/2 cup each of raspberries and blueberries* (frozen okay)
The French toast, plated, with a dollop of quark (a European cheese spread with a texture that is similar to labneh – creamier than Greek yogurt, but less stiff than cream cheese) and syrup.
Directions
- Mix the eggs, vanilla and milk in a bowl
- Soak the slices of bread and place them in a lightly greased baking dish
- Top the bread with the berries, if you’re using them
- Bake for 25 minutes at 375 F and then switch to broil (500 F) for five minutes
This recipe should feed two to four people. There is no need to add sugar as the bread is already sweet itself.
*optional
