Whole Wheat French Toast with Pear Chutney

• butter↗2 tablespoon
• yellow onion (about 1/2 cup finely chopped)↗0.5
• bay leaves↗2
• cinnamon sticks↗3
• bourbon↗0.33333333333333 cup
• white wine vinegar (or other sweet vinegar)↗0.5 cup
• pears (about 4-5 cups finely chopped)↗4
• honey↗2 tablespoon
• a squeeze of lemon juice
• pinch of salt
• slices bakery-style wheat bread (I like Archer Farm’s Harvest Grain bread from Target)↗6
• egg yolks↗2
• half and half↗0.5 cup
• milk (I used almond milk)↗0.5 cup
• vanilla↗2 teaspoon
• whole wheat flour↗1 tablespoon
• mascarpone cheese↗0.5 cup
• chopped pecan pieces for topping

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   The night before (if you can! if not, that’s okay, too), place the butter and onion in a small saucepan and saute for several minutes until soft. Add all the other chutney ingredients and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down and simmer for 30-45 minutes, until the mixture is soft, sweet, and thickened into a texture like applesauce. If making ahead, store in the fridge.

2. 2

   Heat a nonstick pan or griddle over medium high heat. Cut the slices of bread in half so you have a total of 12 bread pieces. Whisk the egg yolks, half and half, milk, vanilla, and flour until smooth. Dip the bread in the egg mixture and transfer to the hot skillet. Fry for a few minutes on each side until golden brown (I don’t recommend using butter – try to use a skillet or griddle that has a very smooth nonstick surface that makes flipping really easy). When the pieces are golden brown, arrange on four plates.

3. 3

   If your chutney was made the night before, heat it back up again. Shmear the French toast with a little mascarpone, top with chutney, and sprinkle with pecans. For extra fun, scoop little spoonfuls of mascarpone over the French toast – the heat of the chutney will melt the mascarpone into pretty little pools of creamy and you will be in heaven.