Rum French Toast Crunch

Ahoy, mateys! Looking for a hearty and delicious breakfast before you set sail? Delight in the flavors of this rum-enhanced French Toast with a crunchy topping! It beats hard tack any day…. Me crew enjoys it with a side of sausage links (meat or vegetarian friendly ones, as desired). Enjoy! (This recipe was created for the Raiders of the Lost Pantry pirate contest in the Contests & Events forum - come check out the forum!)

• Ready In: 50 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• Crunch Topping

• 1  cup  macadamia nuts, chopped
• 1  cup  desiccated coconut
• 2  tablespoons butter, melted
• 2  tablespoons honey
• 2  tablespoons brown sugar
•  cinnamon, to taste
• 1⁄2 cup raisins

• French Toast

• 2⁄3 cup evaporated milk
• 1⁄4 cup rum
• 3  eggs
•  salt, to taste
• 8  slices  bread
• 4  tablespoons butter, divided

• Rum syrup drizzle

• 1⁄4 cup maple syrup
• 1 -2  tablespoon rum, to taste

Directions

1. Whisk together evaporated milk, rum, eggs, and salt, and pour into a long dish good for dipping (I use a 9x13” rectangular glass dish and put in the bread slices two at a time). Set aside.
2. Prepare topping -- Preheat oven to 325°F Combine macadamia nuts, coconut, butter and honey, and mix well. Sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon.
3. Bake until lightly golden, about 12-15 minutes. Be aware that macadamia nuts will go from toasted to burned quickly, so keep a close eye on them if keeping them in longer.
4. Remove from oven and stir in raisins. Set aside.
5. While the topping is baking, heat 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat in a large skillet that can contain two slices of bread.
6. Dip two pieces of bread into the milk mixture and let soak for a few seconds. Flip over and let the second side soak for a few seconds.
7. When butter is melted, add both slices of bread and let cook until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes. Flip and cook the other side for another 2-3 minutes.
8. Repeat until all 8 pieces are cooked.
9. For the drizzle, combine syrup and rum and mix well. If desired, warm through in a small saucepan on the stove.
10. To serve, cut each piece of toast in half diagonally. Place four halves on each plate. Sprinkle with the crunch mixture and add a small drizzle of rum syrup. Serve with any extra crunch and maple syrup on the table to add as desired.