Before the pandemic hit, our little family made the momentous decision to move to France. The land of love holds a special place in our hearts – Paris, the place my husband asked me to marry him, Provence, the region we explored when we were expecting our first child, Leon and Toulouse, two cities explored in the wonderful company of Dan’s mother. With such fond memories of the food, the culture, the people, it was with great excitement that we filled out citizenship forms, spent numerous hours delving into the French language not to mention searching for a property to rent in the picturesque town of Pezenas. And then Covid happened. Like many people throughout the world, our plans fell through, and while disappointing, it didn’t deter us from seeking other exciting endeavours. So we pivoted (Ross Geller style) and decided to move up to Brisbane, where we plan on spending a couple of years before attempting our France move 2.0. In the meantime, we’re filling our home with french music, watching episodes of Escape to the Chateau and making these chocolatey versions of french toast; I mean, what better way to keep the dream alive!

Enjoy xx

Low Salicylate Toast au Chocolat

Adapted from Taste of Home

Serves 4

Equipment

• Measuring cups
• Measuring spoons
• Mixing bowl
• Frypan

Ingredients

8 slices bread

4 eggs

1/2 cup milk

100 gram bar of Lindt 70% dark chocolate

Butter

Icing sugar (for sprinkling)

Greek yoghurt (for serving)

Method

1.) Preheat fan-force oven to 140 degrees celsius.

2.) In a large bowl, whisk eggs and milk until combined. Pour half of the egg mixture into a large baking dish.

3.) Arrange 4 slices of bread in a single layer over the egg mixture.

4.) Take 2 squares of dark chocolate and place in the centre of each piece of bread.

5.) Place remaining bread on top of the bread in the baking dish.

6.) Pour remaining egg mixture all over the top layer bread. Let stand for 5 minutes.

7.) Heat a non-stick pan over low-medium heat. Add a dollop of butter to the pan and allow to melt. Shake off excess liquid and place egg-dipped bread sandwiches onto the heated pan and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden. Once cooked, place toast on an ovenproof plate and cover with foil and put in oven to keep warm. Cook remainder of bread, adding another dollop of butter to the pan each time to ensure the bread doesn’t stick to the pan.

8.) To serve, place sandwiches on plate and dust with icing sugar. Cut sandwiches into triangles and serve warm with a dollop of Greek yogurt on the side.