
Who doesn’t love French toast? I don’t know any of these people either. And when given a preference between pancakes, waffles, or French Toast, both of us have always answered French Toast! Regular French Toast is great and all, but have you tried adding a nice crunchy coating with thick slices of buttery Brioche bread??? If not, this is your sign that you must make this Crunchy Brioche French Toast with Orange Curd and Spiked Orange Chocolate Sauce asap!
The perfect brunch recipe for special occasions!
This recipe is always a family favorite, especially around special occasions that involve a nice big brunch spread like Mothers Day and Fathers Day.
We are not talking about simply slapping a piece of white bread into an egg and milk mixture, frying it up, and dousing it with syrup! This is gourmet French Toast to die for, and the special people in your life deserve this at least one day a year (but generally more often)! The orange curd, Grand Marnier chocolate sauce, and Mascarpone Whipped Cream are the toppings, with a nice, sweet slice of orange added for a refreshing touch.
Making Crunchy Brioche French Toast
Making this version of French Toast is overall very easy, but the result is so beautiful and elevated that you will feel like you are dining at a bougie brunch spot! The key to getting the toast just right is to use a reliable nonstick skillet to make sure that the crunchy layer stays on the toast rather than sticking to your pan. For this reason, we always use our Calphalon Premier™ Hard-Anodized Nonstick Cookware.
Since we are using super thick slices of Brioche, we generally make one or two slices at a time, so that each one comes out perfectly toasty brown and crunchy. So we use our 10-in or 12-in nonstick fry pans for this. They are so easy to clean with the superior nonstick layers and they are dish-washable, so that everyone can relax and enjoy brunch rather than worrying about the cleanup.
If you are in the market for a new set of cookware, head to the Calphalon website, and use our discount code COOKWITHWINE25 for 25% off site-wide (excluding sale items).

The Toppings
The orange curd is a favorite around here, and if you can find cara-cara oranges, or blood oranges, they are the ones to use! These varieties are a bit sweeter than regular oranges and are so lovely in the curd. But any orange will work just fine for this curd.
The mascarpone cream, flavored with vanilla, is a bit richer and more dense than simple whipped cream and has a great flavor. Leftovers can be combined with strawberries or any fruit later for a great dessert!
Finally, there is the chocolate sauce. It’s simple enough but with a small addition of orange liqueur. (we used Grand Marnier). Although barely noticeable in the final chocolate sauce, the orange liqueur really does spruce up the basic sauce with a hint of orange to complement the other toppings.
Enjoy!
We hope you enjoy this version of Crunchy Brioche French Toast! If you give it a try, leave us a comment below, or tag us on Instagram @cooking_with_wine!

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