Ingredients

  • Batter
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 pinch ground cinnamon
  • Caramel Apples
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 6 granny smith apples, peeled, cored, and cut in 1/2-inch-thick wedges
  • 4 large plain croissants, split in half lengthwise
  • confectioners' sugar, for dusting
  • ground cinnamon, for dusting

Method

  • use granny smith apples because of their low water content. juicy apples, like McIntosh, fall apart and turn to mush (He wasn't lying. That's the worse batch I made!).
  • Make the batter for the French toast by whisking together the eggs, milk, vanilla, and cinnamon until evenly blended. Cover and refrigerate.
  • Pay close attention while you make the apples.
  • Put the sugar in a large, dry skillet and place it over medium-low heat.
  • Stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the sugar melts and begins to caramelize, about 5 minutes. Be careful; the sugar is really hot at this point.
  • Still stirring, add the butter, which will foam a little.
  • Once the sugar and butter become a caramel sauce, fold in the apple wedges. Now, because the apples are cooler than the sugar, the sugar may start to seize and harden, but don't trip out- KEEP STIRRING! Once the apples warm up the caramel will smooth out again.
  • When the caramel sauce loosens up and coats the apples, pour in the maple syrup.
  • Give it a stir and simmer for about 10 minutes, until the apples are fork tender.
  • Pull them off the heat and keep them warm.
  • For the french toast itself, warm the butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium low heat.
  • You'll probably only be able to fit a couple of croissants in the pan at once, so make them in batches.
  • Take a croissant half and dredge it quickly in the batter. Do this QUICKLY or else the croissant will disintegrate if soaked in the batter.
  • Lay the croissants in the pan, cut side down and cook for 4-5 minutes. Carefully flip them over with a spatula and brown the other side.
  • The presentation is like a caramel apple sandwich. Put the bottom half of the croissant on a plate; spoon some of the caramel apples on top of that and cover with the top half of the croissant.
  • Dust with confectioners' sugar and cinnamon and enjoy!