I’ve moved off zucchini and on to blueberries as my summer ingredient of the moment, my current crush. Our blueberry bushes out in the garden have petered out already – this wasn’t a particularly prolific year for them, I don’t know why – but a nearby farm stand has the fattest, nickel-sized berries… they’re irresistible.
Once a summer I make this Blueberry Croissant French Toast. To be honest, I’d make it a lot more often if our summer lifestyle included more long lazy Sunday mornings lingering over brunch (that’s more of a winter thing for us). But this French toast is worth cancelling your Sunday morning plans for. It’s swoon-worthy, reminiscent of the kind of decadent brunch you’d treat yourself to on vacation, maybe at a shady table by the pool at a high-end hotel: Rich flaky croissants are first split open and slathered with blueberry jam. Then they’re soaked in an eggy custard and cooked in butter until they’re golden and crusty on the outside and soft and creamy on the inside, and finally smothered with fresh blueberries briefly heated until they’re bursting and juicy.
This recipe was first published in Bon Appetit magazine almost twenty years ago. I’ve adapted it slightly to – believe it or not – make it a little less rich than the original, with less sugar, less cream, less butter, and a small splash of Grand Marnier in place of the brandy, because I love the combination of orange and blueberry. I also downsized it to serve two, but it’s easy to multiply.
You can use traditional, full-sized croissants for this dish, or substitute mini croissants and serve two per person. And if you don’t have access to native blueberries or they’re out of season where you live, grocery-store berries would be fine, but I would not use frozen berries. The semi-firm texture of the barely-cooked fresh blueberries is key here, and watery thawed frozen berries with their leathery skins are just not an acceptable substitute. But you could opt to change up the fruit altogether. Raspberries would be too delicate, but try peaches with peach preserves, or strawberries in both the jam and the topping.
Adapted from Bon Appetit, August 2001.
Blueberry Croissant French Toast
Ingredients
- 3/8 cup (6 tablespoons) whole milk
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon Grand Marnier (or 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract)
- Pinch of kosher salt
- 2 large or 4 mini croissants, preferably day-old
- 4 tablespoons blueberry jam
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup (½ pint) fresh blueberries
- Maple syrup for serving
Directions
- Step 1 Measure the milk and cream into a liquid measuring cup. Add the egg, sugar, Grand Marnier (or vanilla) and salt and whisk to combine. Pour the mixture into a shallow dish that’s just big enough to hold all the croissants in a single layer.
- Step 2 Carefully slice each croissant in half through its thickness, slicing almost all the way through but leaving the back edge intact like a hinge. Carefully open the croissant and spread blueberry jam on the inside bottom half (1 tablespoon if using mini croissants, or 2 tablespoons for a full-sized croissant). Repeat with the remaining croissant(s) and jam. Put the croissants in the custard right side up, and let them soak for about 5 minutes. Turn them over and press down gently. Soak the other side until the croissants have absorbed enough of the custard to become soft but not mushy, another 5 minutes. The croissants may not soak up all the custard.
- Step 3 Meanwhile heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the butter. When the butter is melted, add the croissants. Cook the croissants without moving them until the bottom side is golden brown, firm, and crusty, about 4 minutes. Flip them and cook the other side.
- Step 4 Remove the croissants to serving plates. Dump the blueberries into the skillet and cook them for about 3 minutes, tossing frequently, until they’ve softened and started to let out their juices, but still hold their shape. Spoon the blueberries over the croissants. Serve with warm maple syrup on the side.
