Wednesday InnSider: Blue Heron Inn (Recipe: Lime French Toast)

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from the Blue Heron Inn…

Consecutive nights of subfreezing temperatures have left Bill and me lugging heavy pots of ferns and a variety of semi-tropical and tropical plants from the screened porch (which runs the entire length of the house) into our inn’s great room. Lucky for us, the Blue Heron Inn’s common area is roomy enough for plants and guests alike.

Now when we typically refer to cool here in coastal Georgia, we are talking about temperatures somewhere in the 40’s. But subfreezing? Now that’s cold! For the next 3 nights, we are expecting temperatures to dip down into the 20’s. Thank heavens our daytime temperatures will warm up to about 50 or so.

I know, I know. Please stop laughing. Truly, my heart goes out to all of you who live north and west of us. I know some of you have not seen temperatures as high as the 20’s in weeks. But freezing is not normal for coastal Georgia—so we bring in what plants we can and cover the herb and winter vegetable garden with old sheets.

Enough about our winter weather—let’s get to the food—because this breakfast is sure to melt your winter blues no matter where you live. Add a fun, tropical touch to your tablescape as well, and you’ll be on your way to a mini-vacation in a warmer climate!

I discovered Lime French Toast in Julia M. Pitkin’s Specialties of the House, a cookbook full of bed & breakfast recipes from around the United States, but the recipe itself was submitted by Julee Rosso, owner of the fabulous Wickwood Inn in Saugatuck, MI. Julee has authored a number of cookbooks herself and was gracious enough to allow me to share this recipe here on Inn Cuisine.

Note – To make this recipe, you will need to know how to properly zest limes. It is essential to have a very good zester. My zester is excellent, but requires frequent refills of his wine glass during the process.

I must tell you, this recipe for Lime French Toast is one of the most popular breakfasts served at the Blue Heron Inn. Topped with fresh strawberries, kiwis, blueberries, banana slice and a dusting of powdered sugar, it always receives oohs and aahs when placed before our guests. Typically, the response sounds something like this, “Ooo…wait, don’t eat it, let me get my camera—a picture first! It’s just too pretty to eat!” We hear these comments every time we present Lime French Toast to our guests. You will too!

Lime French Toast

(submitted by the Blue Heron Inn, with permission from Julee Rosso of the Wickwood Inn, as featured in Specialties of the House, by Julie Pitkin)

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup
• finely minced zest of 3 limes
• 1/4 cup frozen Limeade concentrate
• 2 eggs
• 3 egg whites
• 1 & 1/2 cups milk
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 1 loaf French bread, cut into 3/4 inch slice

Spray a 9×13 inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. In a medium saucepan over low heat combine the first 5 ingredients. Cook about 5 minutes, until the butter and sugar have melted. Pour into the baking dish.

In a mixing bowl, mix eggs, egg whites, milk and vanilla. Blend well (I whip this with an electric whisk attachment on my mixer). Arrange the bread slices in one layer over the lime mixture and pour the whipped egg and milk mixture over the bread. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes prior to baking and allow to return to room temperature. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Place 2 slices of the baked Lime French Toast on each plate. Top with fresh sliced strawberries, kiwi slices, blueberries and slices of banana. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve immediately.

Note - At the Blue Heron Inn we always start breakfast with fresh fruit, but how do you accomplish this when your main dish is loaded with fruit as well? Easy! You arrange a slice of cantaloupe, a slice of fresh orange and a lovely pansy blossom on a plate! Pansies are edible, fairly hardy and their happy faces survive the brief forays into freezing temperatures.

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Tagged as: bed and breafast reicpes, citrus French toast recipes, French toast recipes, French toast with fruit recipes, Julee Rosso, lime French toast recipe, recipes from the Wickwood Inn bed and breakfast, Specialities of the House, the blue heron inn bed and breakfast georgia