Awesome Super French Toast

This French toast skips the soggy custard middle that ruins so many brunch attempts. Bread slices get a quick dunk in egg and orange juice, then a thorough roll in a crunchy mix of crushed cornflakes, wheat germ, and ground pecans. The coating fries into a crackling golden crust while the inside stays soft.

Orange juice in place of the usual milk is the move that brightens the whole plate. The mild acidity wakes up the egg and gives the finished toast a subtle citrus lift that plays beautifully against maple syrup or a sprinkle of powdered sugar.

Wheat germ adds nutty depth and a serious fiber boost without changing the texture. Ground pecans bring the toasty richness that makes this crust unmistakably special. Skip the nuts and you have ordinary cereal-crusted French toast.

Use slightly stale bread if you can. Day-old slices hold the egg dip better and stay crisper after frying. Fresh squishy bread tears under the coating and goes flat.

Pro Tips

• Keep one hand for wet, one for dry. Cross-contaminating wet egg into the dry coating turns the cornflake mix into clumpy paste halfway through the batch.
• Use medium heat. The cornflake coating browns fast, and high heat scorches the crust before the egg sets.
• Crush the cornflakes coarsely, not into powder. Big flakes give better crunch and visual texture.
• Hold finished slices on a wire rack in a low oven, not stacked on a plate. Stacked slices steam and lose their crisp.

Variations

• Swap the orange juice for milk and add a teaspoon of vanilla and a pinch of cinnamon for a more classic flavor.
• Use chopped almonds or walnuts instead of pecans.
• Substitute crushed granola for the cornflakes for a different crunchy coating with built-in oats and seeds.