French Toast Bites

French Toast Bites

We love this kid-friendly French toast created by Cindy Bates. Regular French toast can be soggy in the middle, but bite-size cubes mean more crispy surface area.

Yield: MAKES: About 6 servings

1 loaf (about 1 lb.) sturdy artisan-style bread
6 eggs
1 cup low-fat milk (1% or 2%)
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1. Cut bread into 1-inch-thick slices. Trim crusts; cut bread into 1-inch cubes. In a bowl, beat eggs, milk, vanilla, and cinnamon. Add 2 cups bread cubes and mix to saturate.

2. Lightly butter a 10- to 12-inch nonstick frying pan. Place pan over medium-high heat. Lift bread cubes from mixture, shaking off excess liquid. Add cubes to hot pan and cook (adjust heat if necessary), turning as needed, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Keep warm.

3. Repeat to soak and cook remaining cubes. Discard any remaining egg mixture.

CALORIES 315 (34% from fat); FAT 12g (sat 4.8g); CHOLESTEROL 224mg; CARBOHYDRATE 37g; SODIUM 520mg; PROTEIN 14g; FIBER 2.1g

Sunset, SEPTEMBER 2004