French Toast and Champagne

French Toast & Champagne

May oh May how we love you! Yesterday we were enjoying a sweet pre Mother’s Day brunch in the garden. The warm balmy air was suffused with the scent of roses and various lovely spring blooms. The slightly salty breeze from the ocean ruffled our hair and kept our brows cooled. May is the most fragrant month of the year and holds a promise of sweet summer to come. This month, Mother Nature generously fills our tables with fresh fruits and tender vegetables, so nurturing just like our mothers. Perhaps that is why Mother’s Day is celebrated in May.

Mother’s Day comes once a year, but we think that you should celebrate the ladies in your life more often (not just because of the Champagne) and here in America the official holiday is on the second Sunday of May. In Europe this special day is the first Sunday of May so we decided to celebrate on the spur of the moment after calling Judit’s mom (Corina’s grandmother), who lives on the other side of the globe, to tell her how much we love her and wish that she could be here with us.

French Toast Ingredients

There are so few ingredients for this wonderful French Toast and you can use any fruit you like, we are sure it will be delicious either way. We used a whole wheat cinnamon raisin toast, organic eggs, milk, raspberries, lemon zest and basil. The full recipe and instructions are below.

Judit Corina Brunch French Toast

Corina wanted to make a Chocolate Soufflé, but because Judit is the mom, she won with her choice of French Toast. Judit has been craving french toast ever since she picked up a loaf of whole wheat cinnamon raisin toast bread from the store, which was disappearing rather quickly. So now was the perfect time and what could be more fun than setting up a table under the arbor and devouring a small mountain of sweet fluffy cinnamon French Toast? You guessed right, enjoying the brunch with Champagne or a cocktail!

Pinot Royal Champagne

Raise your right hand if you like Champagne, raise your left hand if you like wine. Now keep them both up because you will be invited to taste both with us in a deliciously blended Pinot Royal Champagne Cocktail. What do you think, should we patent the name? It makes us think of James Bond in the film “Casino Royal” and the only thing missing at this Mother’s Day table is the lead actor Daniel Craig. As we were pouring the delightful Pinot Noir Syrup over the french toast, we added a splash to the Champagne and voilà, we created a new cocktail for you. Most good things happen unplanned.

Raspberries French Toast

We were so excited about this Pinot Royal, because the little addition of Pinot Syrup brought a major impact in this little cocktail. Pinot Noir has a lot of raspberry flavors and adding a few raspberries to swim in the Champagne made this a fizzy delight. For this cocktail you can use any Champagne or Sparkling Wine that is not too sweet, because the syrup will sweeten it up. Click here for the recipe.

French Toast Slices
French Toast Judit

The few hours in the arbor were so precious and as we chatted about our memories we realized that we are so blessed to be able to add this lovely brunch to the other ones. We felt like were in a scene from the romantic comedy “Because I Said So” with Diane Keaton and Mandy Moore as a mother-daughter who made their passion for cooking into a business. If you haven’t seen the movie you must rent it to watch for a girls night in since it is cute and funny. We can relate because it has Judit’s favorite line “Because I Said So”! The red and pink roses picked from the garden looked splendid for our brunch table and were still lively even with the overly hot temperatures. Mother’s Day is really not about gifts, even though Judit loved her shinny new Brighton ballerina shoes. “Thank you Corina, you are really sweet and know what your mother likes!”

French Toast Champagne DuckDucks Mom Baby

The ducks come to visit every year, and last summer the mommy duck had her baby ducklings in the garden and took them for a splash in the pool. It was so sweet to see the fuzzy little darlings sunbathing and learning to swim.

French Toast Champagne Corina

There are many methods to make french toast and we like to soak the slices of bread for just a few minutes in the egg and milk bath. Then we fry them individually instead of baking them in the oven for a crisper texture. We like to use older toast bread because it holds the shape better and doesn’t fall apart as quickly. For an extra boost of flavor we grated fresh lemon zest over the top. This is a brilliant recipe for any breakfast, brunch, or even dessert.

Judit Corina Then Now
French Toast Table Judit Corina

We just loved the precocious moments and the joy that we were able to share this lovely feast and as we savored each bite of the fluffy French Toast by mopping up the utterly delicious tangy but sweet Pinot syrup we chatted about childhood memories. To have more time to enjoy this holiday, you can make the Pinot syrup a few days ahead or simply use your favorite syrup instead. The Pinot syrup is a favorite at our table and we love to dip, drizzle over as many of dishes as possible.

Recipe French Toast
Santa Barbara Beach Birds
Corina Photo French Toast

A Mother’s Day Poem
Flowers, poems, and chocolates
Are just small tokens to say
Happy Mother’s Day.
We may not always appreciate the advice
That moms give because they care
And it takes a while to realize
That they do try to be fair.
So let’s make sure not to forget
To celebrate moms for more than just a day,
Or we may come to regret
That we did not share words of love today.
And make it a habit that is not rare,
To bring flowers and chocolates more than once a year.
by ~ Corina

French Toast Raspberries Recipe

Perhaps we inundated you a little with all the photos from our simple but oh so delicious French Toast and Champagne filled table…maybe we dare to hope that you don’t mind at all because by now your lips up curled up from the joy of your happy Mothers Day memories as a child or as a mother yourself.

French Toast

French Toast with Pinot Syrup

Judit+Corina

Ingredients
  

For French Toast:

  • 8 Slices of Whole Wheat Cinnamon Raisin Toast Bread - about 1” thick each
  • 4 Large Eggs - room temperature
  • 1/2 cup Organic Whole Milk
  • 1 Tbsp Raw Honey
  • Pinch of Himalayan Salt
  • 3 Tbsp Unsalted Butter or more if needed

For Topping:

  • 1 Tbsp Stevia or Confectioners Sugar
  • 1/3 cup Pinot Syrup
  • 8 oz Raspberries
  • Zest of 1 Organic Lemon
  • 4 Fresh Basil Sprig

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven 250 degree Fahrenheit.
  • In large shallow bowl or baking dish whisk together eggs, milk, honey and salt until well blended. In single layer arrange the toast slices, and let the bread absorb some of the egg and milk mixture. After 2 minutes gently turn each slice over and let it rest for 2 more minutes. Or soak the toast in two batches if you have smaller baking dish.
  • In the meantime in a large skillet or griddle, melt one tablespoon of butter until foamy hot.
  • Using a spatula arrange the toast slices without crowding the girdle and cook for about 3 minutes on each side or until light golden in color.
  • Transfer the golden slices to a fireproof serving dish and keep it warm until all the toast is cooked.
  • To serve, arrange two slices on a large plate and dust with Stevia and drizzle with the Pinot Syrup. Decorate with fresh raspberries and a few basil leaves. Bon appetite!

Nutrition

Serving: 4g
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

For a quick Pinot Noir Syrup
Ingredients
1 cup Pinot Noir Wine
2 Tbsp Local Raw Honey
1 Sprig of Fresh Basil

Directions
Combine wine and honey in a small sauce pan. Simmer over medium high heat for about 20 minutes or until reduced to about 1/3 cup. Add the basil sprig, set aside to cool down. Drizzle over the French Toast.

Judit Corina Brunch Flowers

Food & Wine Pairing: A Santa Barbara County Margerum Riviera Rosé with notes of warm juicy strawberry, ripe summer raspberry and fragrant rose petals or a little glass of our effervescent Pinot Royal Champagne Cocktail.

French Toast Recipe

Hope your Mother’s Day will be filled with love and laughter and of course let’s not forget some fabulous pearly bubbly so you can add more delicious memories! What is your favorite brunch menu?judit-corina

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  1. What a lovely morning! From the gorgeous surroundings to the beautiful french toast to the darling ducks … just perfect! And, imagine my relief (when I found myself with BOTH my right hand and left hand raised in the air), to find out about your Pinot Royal Champagne Cocktail! Just the thing for a celebration brunch! 😀

  2. says: nipponnin

    What a lovely garden to have brunch or any other meal. I absolutely adore it. The roses are so pretty, and the french toast look fabulous. I like your poem, so charming.

    1. Thank you nipponnin, we had such a nice day enjoying the warm coastal weather and making french toast. It was fantastic to have so many roses in bloom for such a special holiday. Cheers! J+C

  3. says: Miranda

    That table looks spectacular and the French Toast does too! I have never tried a Pinot syrup on breakfast foods and usually drink Merlot or Syrah. Can I use any other red wines to make this delicious syrup?

    1. Thank you Miranda and so glad you liked our presenation! Merlot or Syrah would be delicious too and you could use strawberries or a medley of fruit too. Enjoy the recipe 🙂

      1. says: Miranda

        Thank you for the reply! I have half a bottle of Merlot sitting on the counter so will try making a Merlot Syrup tomorrow.

    1. So sweet of you Kristi! We love to decorate with florwers and fruit when ever is possible it does give a little special to every meal. It would be fun to have you over to lunch 🙂

  4. says: Diana M

    This French Toast brunch looks simply spectacular! I love how you set the table with the gorgeous flowers and I want that elegant vase! The Pinot Royal cocktail rounds out the beautiful table scape and the meal.

    1. Thank you so much Diana! We did have a beautiful day and it did not take too long to put all that together. Glad you like it and hope you will enjoy the recipe 🙂
      Cheers,
      J+C

    1. Hope you had a beautiful day as well Evelyne! We could eat French toast too almost every day. The whole wheat cinnamon raisin toast bread was a lucky find, it does give a nice extra flavor 🙂

  5. says: marcie

    J+C, I love this post! The photos, the meal, everything. 🙂 I wish someone would’ve set up a spread like this for me with the flowers, the champagne cocktail (my favorite color!) and that cinnamon raisin French toast looks divine. I hope you had a lovely weekend!

    1. You are so sweet Marcie! Hope somebody will surprice you with a beautiful and romantic table soon. We are big fans too of pink Champagne, it is something special about the color and aroma. Have a wonderful week 🙂
      J+C

  6. I am soooo envious that you have such lovely roses all ready. I live in the Pacific NW. The bushes are looking good, but alas no blooms yet. But of course my garden is filled with dozens of other plants blooming. Of course I want it ALL. I very much like setting a nice table for others and sitting down to tables that others have designed. That is one of the wonderful aspects of your blog that I enjoy. Because there is sooo much hurry hurry, setting a nice table gets put aside. It can be simple, just thoughtful. The menu is wonder and the pinot syrup would be a unique treat. Lastly I couldn’t agree more about celebrating Moms and others who are special in our lives on a regular basis. Why only exhibit our appreciation, love and respect on a single day of the year. Smiles—–

    1. Thank you so much Carol! Santa Barbara is famous for its many beautiful rose gardens. It seems like there are always some kind of rose varietals are in bloom. The Old Mission has one of the most spectacular rose gardens and couples come from all over the world to get married in the glorious sea of roses.
      Hope you are having a wonderful week:)
      J+C

    1. Thank you so much Maureen, and hope that you had a wonderful day too! It was one of the sweetest days and we were glad we choose a simple recipe and had more time to enjoy.
      Cheers,
      J+C

  7. says: Hotly Spiced

    Gorgeous! I love the setting and what a lovely Mother’s Day brunch. I’d love some French toast and a lovely pinot cocktail. I love the photo of the ducks and the image taken from above looking down on you about to enjoy your brunch xx

    1. Thank you for your kind comment Charlie! The pinot cocktail was a spur of the moment recipe and have to say we loved almost as much as the famous Kir Royal! We did have a memorable time in the garden and can’t wait to make the French toast again very soon.
      xx
      J+C

  8. I know this is all about the French toast, but I love your shoes, girls! 🙂
    Also love the french toast, of course. Actually, it honestly sounds like the most delicious french toast ever. If I saw that on a restaurant menu I’d definitely snap it up! As usual the piccies of the garden are beautiful, as well. Happy Mother’s Day to you both!

    1. Thank you Helen, hope you had a great weekend with Mr. Scrummy too! Almost every time we order French Toast in a restaurant it ends up being too sweet for our taste. It is amazing how simple it is to make this quick recipe and we love that you can adjust it to be as sweet as you like. We have another recipe with French Toast stuffed with ricotta that we should post soon. Surprisingly both of those sandals are so comfortable! Judit is wearing red Brighton sandals and Corina in Børn heels, and we know why Corina chose hers, the color is called “Gold Tiramisu”. J+C

  9. says: Shashi @ RunninSrilankan(dot)com

    What a gorgeous garden – so glad I stumbled by today! And that french toast sounds delectable!

    1. Thanks Angie, have a nice weekend! The fresh raspberries were so tasty we actually dipped more into the Pinot syrup after the French Toast was all gone. We also added a few to the Pinot Royal Cocktail just to be sure we get enough fruit in our diet. 🙂 J+C

    1. Thank you Juliana, the Pinot syrup is not too sweet so you can still dust on a little sweetness with Stevia or if you must then powdered sugar! Have a lovely weekend! J+C

  10. says: Travis

    Wow this french toast with sauce looks amazing! I’m getting hungry just looking at the photos. Nice garden scenery and ducks.

    1. We luckily got to have the toast just after taking the photos! The ducks come and visit every year and the last summer it was so exceptional to be able to see the baby ducklings in action up close.

    1. Thank you Chris, wishing you a very lovely Mother’s Day with your family! We had a great time making the french toast and an even better time to eat it in the garden. Cheers! J+C

    1. Thank you for the compliments Lindsey! We love french toast too and the Pinot syrup is a nice alternative to regular maple syrup and is so tasty when splashed into a little Champagne Cocktail. J+C

  11. says: Beverly

    This brunch garden setting is absolutely beautiful! What a great idea to drizzle the Pinot syrup over french toast and I adore the cocktail idea too. You both looks so pretty. Happy Mother’s Day!

    1. Hello Beverly, Happy Mother’s Day too! The Pinot syrup is almost like a raspberry syrup and you can make it ahead of time and even pour it over pancakes too. Cheers! J+C