Mother’s Day is here! It is a time to celebrate motherhood. Its a time to honor maternal figures, to express gratitude, and to strengthen family bonds. It is a day to pay homage to cultural and historic figures, goddesses and modern day superheros. We are thrilled to embrace this special occasion, to recognize and appreciate the immense love and contributions of Mothers and Mother Figures in our lives. It is a day when we make them feel valued and cherished. We hope you are surrounded & celebrated with loved ones, no matter your circumstances. Just to be able to take some time to pause and reflect on our Motherhood journey’s and to recognize the fundamental bond between a Mother and her children is truly something special.
If there is one thing above all else most Moms want to do on this glorious day, without a doubt, its to eat delicious food. Some prefer a lovely dinner, some prefer to dine out and then there are the select few of us who don’t wish to leave the house at all, but instead desire to have a lavish spread of food served for brunch. No matter how food is served, sharing a meal is steeped in tradition & celebration and a common way to commemorate the occasion. Breaking bread together encourages family bonding. Sitting down to eat together allows everyone to gather, converse, and enjoy each other’s company. We wanted to gather a few of our favorite recipes to help make the day truly special, to help mom feel pampered and relaxed this Mother’s Day. The symbolic gesture of preparing a few dishes she will most certainly love will bring enjoyment, indulgence and mark memories for years to come.
The first recipe in our Mother’s Day Brunch series is a Tour De Force, Tres Leches French Toast. We tested and tested a few different recipes for this classic Imperial Roman dish and landed on a version where brioche is soaked in a creamy thick, 3-milk custard overnight and topped with fresh berries plus a dreamy whipped mascarpone. The end result is succulent, rich and moreish. You will have trouble putting your fork down after you dive into this one. The trick is to toast the bread lightly before pouring on the custard or to use day old bread. This allows for the bread to absorb the liquid better. You also want to ensure to whisk the custard well to ensure all the flavors and spices have the chance to well bind before adding to bread. Lastly, cut your bread slices on the thicker side (think double the size of a standard slice of bread) to ensure the bread holds its shape while soaking overnight. If you make this please do drop us a line and tag us in photos on socials to let us know what you think.
Tres Leches French Toast:
Serves 3
1/2 lb of Brioche or Challah cut into 6 - 1 1/2” thick slices
1/2 cup condensed mild
1/2 cup evaporated mild
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
2 eggs + 1 egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp cardamom
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp lemon zest
1/8 cup sugar
pinch of salt
Directions:
Start by slicing your bread then lightly toasting on both sides until slightly golden brown in a toaster oven. Place each slice flat onto a baking dish just large enough to fit. Set aside. Begin preparing your custard. In a medium size bowl add condensed milk, evaporated milk, and heavy cream. Crack eggs into bowl + add egg yolk. Whisk to egg is combined. Add spices, vanilla, sugar, lemon & salt and whisk again until everything has dissolved. Pour custard over the bread making sure to flip and coat both sides of each slice of bread. You want to make sure you are letting the custard seep into one side of the bread well before you flip them. Move them are in the custard but handling the slices with care as not to tear the bread. Once bread is nicely coated, place in the fridge and let soak overnight.
In the morning when you’re ready to get cooking. Remove your tray with your soaked bread from the fridge about 30 minutes before using to bring to room temperature. Next, place a large cast iron skillet over medium heat and add a tbsp of butter. Coat the outer edges of the bread before carefully pulling the slices out with a spatula. Let the excess custard drip off before adding the slices to the pre heated pan. You’ll want to work in batches here making sure to not over crowd your pan. Sear each side until golden brown and well seared. Your pan should not be too hot. The custard has sugar in it and a heat too high will burn it. Cook these low and slow, about 3 minutes a side. After searing each side, the bread on its head to sear the out all four outer edges. This will ensure the crust is crispy as well. Add to a warmed 200º oven and finish cooking the rest of the slices. Once ready to serve, plate and top with berries and whipped mascarpone. Indulge and enjoy!
