Cinnamon French Toast with Yoghurt, Raspberries, Maple Syrup, & Buckwheat

Okay, 9 times out of 10, my stories are (and will be) about cheese, but it almost goes without saying that I'm passionate about all things dairy. Next to cheese, yoghurt is something that I eat nearly every day. I tend to go for plain Greek yoghurt the most because it's so versatile. In sweet or savoury dishes, or just on its own, I think it's delicious.

One of my favourite breakfast or brunch indulgences is that I will dollop lashings of yoghurt on French Toast. French Toast has been around for centuries (I believe even as far back as the days of the Roman Empire), and can go by alternative names such as, "Eggy Bread", or "Gypsy Toast". There are also several variations that are made from across the globe, in countries such as Brazil, Denmark, France, and Germany. I haven't tried them all, but I'd definitely be willing to give it a go sometime, especially if there's yoghurt. Like I've said before, if there's some sort of cheese or dairy product involved in a dish, the chances are high that I'll love it and want to eat it all without sharing.

Speaking of sharing, like all of us, being in lockdown in the middle of the pandemic last year meant that I had a lot of time on my hands and was looking for things to do. Being one of my hobbies anyway, I naturally started cooking and baking a lot (wasn't everyone?), which then progressed into cooking, baking, and taking photos of the things I had made, which then gradually got me looking into (trying) to make the said photos more appealing to look at. Finally, I started thinking that I might like to share more of what I've been doing on social media. So I started up my Instagram page that's dedicated to cheese, cheesemaking, and all things dairy, and some of my posts include the caption, "Things I like to eat with...", and in this case, it's things I like to eat with yoghurt.

So without further ado, here is a French Toast recipe that I love to eat yoghurt with.

Prep: 25 mins Cook: 20 mins Serves: 4

Ingredients

- 150ml Milk

- 100g (or 1 medium) Banana, chopped

- 2 Eggs

- 1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon

- 8 Slices Wholegrain Bread

- 2 tbsp Raw Buckwheat

- 2 tsp Oil

- 130g (1/2 cup) Greek Style Yoghurt

- 125g Fresh Raspberries

- 1 tbsp Maple Syrup

Method

Step 1.

Blend the milk , banana, eggs, and cinnamon for 20-30 seconds or until smooth. Transfer to a large dish. Place the bread slices in the milk mixture, pressing down on them so they absorb as much of the mixture as possible. Set aside for 10 minutes to soak.

Step 2.

Meanwhile, place buckwheat in a small frying pan over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes or until golden. Transfer to a bowl. Set aside.

Step 3.

Using half the oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Cook 4 soaked bread slices for 2-3 minutes each side or until golden and cooked through. Transfer to a plate. Cover loosely with foil to keep warm. Repeat with remaining oil and bread.

Step 4.

Divide the French toast among serving plates. Top with the yoghurt and raspberries. Drizzle with the maple syrup and sprinkle with the buckwheat.

Hints & Tips

You can make a healthier version by swapping the milk with almond milk, the Greek yoghurt with coconut yoghurt, and the oil with coconut oil. You can also top with pomegranate seeds if you wish, and dust with Maca powder.

What's Maca powder? It's a dried powder made from maca root that has a nutty, caramel-like flavour to it. It makes a great alternative to icing sugar for dusting the toast.