I know we seem like the world's most indulgent young gay couple and it probably looks like we just sit around and guzzle cocktails and chomp down on cupcakes, turnovers, and tatchos all day long, but we actually try real hard to keep a pretty balanced diet. Breakfast is usually some kind of simple egg thing, lunch is often a salad or sandwich, and for dinner it's not uncommon to find a roasted chicken in the oven with a side of sweet potatoes. We're pretty damn basic to be honest. Sometimes, though, I buy a loaf of challah or brioche and we get buck as hell with a sugary carby fancy breakfast that would've made chunky sassy eight year old me squeal with excitement. Honestly, I use "yaaaas" a lot now but if it was a part of my vocabulary when I was a kid I would've used it way more. "Yaaaaaaas the cafeteria has fish sticks today yaaaaaaaaas!"

Anyway.

Challah French Toast with a Blood Orange Rosemary Curd.

It's really really really good, and it's what we ate the morning of V day even though we kinda hate the holiday. I actually got the base for this recipe from the hot babes over at Bon Appetit, and they obvi know what they're doing. It's got a slight buttery crunch on the outside and perfectly sweet custardy center. I've topped it off with a curd made with ingredients from my local organic farmers market (just kidding I went to Whole Foods and bought imported blood oranges lol #sorry) and some fresh rosemary. Share it with your lover, or a friend, or your boss, or - hell I don't know - maybe your boss is also your bff / you guys sleep together? Just eat this with someone. Or actually maybe it would be better alone. Ok I have to leave I promise the recipe below is dope as hell byeeeeee <3 Happy v day!

Challah French Toast with Blood Orange Rosemary Curd

prep time 25 minutes // cook time 25 minutes // serves 2 - 3

Challah French Toast (based on this recipe from Bon Ap!)

1 loaf of challah, cut into 6 thick slices
6 large eggs
3/4 c heavy cream
3/4 c whole milk
1/4 c sugar
Pinch of salt
2 T unsalted butter
2 T coconut oil, divided

Preheat oven to 250 degrees to keep the french toast warm as you make each piece.
Whisk together eggs, cream, milk, sugar, and salt in casserole dish or lasagna pan.
Add bread to the pan and press down gently to absorb the custard mix. Let sit for ten minutes before flipping and repeating for another ten minutes.
Heat a tablespoon of the butter and a tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. It'll foam and the the foam will subside and once that happens, lift three slices of brioche (or however many will fit into the skillet) and cook in the skillet until golden brown and the center bounces back when pushed, about two minutes per side. Remove from skillet and place on wire rack set in a baking sheet in the oven to keep warm while preparing the rest. Use the remaining butter/oil as necessary.

Blood Orange Rosemary Curd

3 large eggs
2 egg yolks
1/2 c fresh blood orange juice (about 3 - 4 oranges)
1 stick unsalted butter, chilled, cubed
1 T lemon juice
1 t lemon zest
1 T blood orange zest
1/4 t orange oil (optional)
1 large sprig of rosemary, chopped (the leaves only, obvi, discard the stem)

In a medium skillet, whisk together the egg yolks and eggs. Add the citrus juices, zest, orange oil and rosemary, and whisk to combine. Add the butter and put the skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly, for eight minutes until it thickens. Make sure the mixture never begins to boil, though occasional bubbles are fine. Strain curd into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap, refrigerate for at least 4 hours. To assemble the breakfast we had, just plop a dollop of the curd atop your freshly made French toast!

Notes

Unlike I had hoped, the curd isn't bursting with pinkish red color, so if that's something that is super important to you (no judgement here, girl), considering adding a few teaspoons of pomegranate or beet juice to brighten it up. I didn't test this, it may make it just a sick brown color, just an idea though!
Not overheating the curd is super important, and doing so will make the texture be slightly grainy instead of smooth and velvety.
Thick slabs of French toast are the best thing in the world, but keep in mind that the thicker you cut the bread, the higher risk you run of having a totally non-custardy inside that is still just cold bread. If you do go thick, give the toast extra time to soak all the way through!