JENGA FRENCH TOAST! It’s finally here. Peeps, this idea has been scribbled on a Post-It note next to my computer for ages. And it’s been so easy to keep pushing it off, month after month, because it’s not a particularly time-sensitive thing, you know? It’s not seasonal or holiday-related. So I keep thinking, “Oh, I can get that done in [February/March/April/insert next month].”
Actually, to give myself a little credit, I have woken up early on many a weekday and wanted to make it, but I’ll realize Andre’s already headed off to work and nobody would be there to eat it with me. Or the perfect Sunday morning situation will present itself, and I’ll realize I’ve run out of eggs. Or milk. Or butter. Or BREAD.
But!!!
As I wrapped up last week’s Bake a Stand Bake Sale to combat antisemitism (more on that here), there was certainly no shortage of bread in my apartment. And the milk and the eggs and the Andre were all within reach, too. To make matters even more perf, it was, in fact, a Sunday.
The time was right. For Jenga French toast. And so I got to work.
If you don’t know what Jenga is, I’m going to need you to do a little Googling and come back to this post when you’re ready, because life is too short and my pile of pending Post-It notes is too long for me to explain it to you. But it’s a wonderful thing, and this edible tower of syrupy deliciousness is an ode to it.
I should add, though, that despite its similar-ish appearance and my very high hopes upon piecing it all together, I’m pretty confident that this edible version would NOT hold up well to an actual game. It wasn’t exactly structurally sound. And it was sticky. So I didn’t even dare try.
Still, it’s a very cute way of presenting French toast, and cuteness has its purpose. Such is the thesis of this entire blog, anyway. Also, I feel like French toast sticks just taste better than regular French toast. I think it’s because all sides of each bite get to hit the pan, brown a little, and soak up some butter. You know? Or maybe it’s just because finger food > other foods.
Anyway, the recipe is here for the taking and I hope it makes you smile on a Sunday morning of your very own. If you do end up making this, tag me! Or share photos in my Facebook group.
Jenga Challah French Toast
Makes 30-40 French toast “sticks” and 2+ Jenga-like servings, depending on how high you stack it!
What You’ll Need:
- 2 medium-sized loaves challah, preferably stale (1+ days old)
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons cinnamon
- 3 large eggs
- 3 cups milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup butter (1 stick or 8 tablespoons), divided, for the pan
- Optional: Syrup, for serving; edible flowers, to garnish
What You’ll Do:
- Slice the entire loaf of challah into thick slices, then cut off all of the crusts and set aside (you can make a French toast casserole out of them, bake for croutons, sprinkle into homemade breadcrumbs…many options here so that nothing goes to waste!). Cut each slice into several thick, evenly sized, rectangle “sticks” (visually similar to Jenga playing pieces). Try to slice the sticks so that they’re all the same size; again, you can use any leftovers to make one of the recipes linked above. If the bread you’re using isn’t already stale, place all of the sticks on a baking sheet or tray and let them sit out in your kitchen overnight to allow them to harden slightly.
- Stir together the cinnamon and sugar on a plate or within a shallow bowl; set aside. In a separate bowl, mix together the eggs, milk, and vanilla until fully combined. Make sure that both the egg custard and cinnamon-sugar are within reach of your stove.
- In a large skillet, melt two tablespoons of butter on medium-low heat. When it’s melted and the pan is hot, use tongs to dip your challah sticks, one at a time, into the custard, making sure that each side touches and soaks up some of the mixture. Then, quickly transfer them to the pan—you should be able to fry about 5-7 sticks at a time without crowding the pan. Rather than soaking the sticks in the egg mixture the way you would with traditional French toast, you don’t want your sticks to get too saturated here; otherwise, they won’t hold up later on in the process.
- Fry each batch of sticks until they’re a deep golden brown, then use tongs to transfer them over to your cinnamon-sugar mixture and coat thoroughly. Place the finished sticks onto a baking sheet while you repeat this process with all of the remaining bread pieces, adding butter to the pan between batches.
- To serve, arrange in a “Jenga” formation—three sticks on the bottom, followed by a second level of three more sticks, perpendicular to the first level. Follow that with another three sticks, this time perpendicular to the second level and parallel with the first level. Make your towers as high as you want—mine’s a little more daring; I’d recommend four or five “levels.” Serve warm with syrup, garnish as desired, and remove sticks, Jenga-style at your own risk. 🙃