SAMANTHA'S FRENCH TOAST

4 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
A sprinkle of sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
6 slices of dense bread
Maple syrup (for serving)

Mix the eggs, milk, vanilla, sugar, and cinnamon in a shallow, wide-bottomed bowl that is large enough to accommodate a slice of bread.

Grease a griddle with melted butter or margarine, or use cooking spray. Heat the griddle to 350 degrees F (medium-high heat).

Dip a slice of bread into the egg batter, coating both sides. Remove the bread and place it on the hot griddle. Brown the bread on both sides, cooking each side about 2 to 3 minutes.

Serve with maple syrup.

VARIATION:
Top with maple syrup and berries of your choice: strawberries, blueberries, or raspberries.

Makes 6 servings
From the Hardcover edition.
Excerpted from The Book Lover's Cookbook by Shaunda Kennedy Wenger and Janet Kay Jensen
Copyright © 2003 by Shaunda Kennedy Wenger Janet Kay Jensen. Excerpted by permission of Ballantine Books, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.