The BEST French Toast
If you haven’t tried Hong Kong Style French Toast yet, then it’s time to wake up and get started on this Black Sesame Raspberry Hong Kong Style French Toast! I may be a little bias considering my family is from Hong Kong, but I believe it’s far more superior than American style french toast. Typically, Hong Kong Style French Toast is made of layers of milk bread filled with peanut butter. The french toast is dipped into an egg custard then fried until golden brown. Finally, it’s topped with butter and sweetened condensed milk.
To me, what makes Hong Kong Style French Toast so good is the decadence and nutty flavor. The peanut butter filling becomes warm when cooked, so it melts into a delicious velvety spread and the nutty flavor is enhanced. It’s also cooked in more fat, which allows the outside to get almost fried, developing a crispier exterior. And my favorite part is that it’s all complimented with a drizzle of sweetened condensed milk. Something about the simple, creamy sweetness goes so well with the textures and flavors of the dish. With that said, I was inspired to created my own version of it and this Black Sesame Raspberry Hong Kong Style French Toast was born!
Finding Asian Fusion Flavors
I wanted to keep the same process of making a Hong Kong Style French Toast but add on my own twist with flavors that excite me. This Black Sesame Raspberry Hong Kong Style French Toast is kind of a fusion of my Chinese and American cultures. I’m so proud of the food that comes from my Chinese culture, but I also grew up eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches like any other kid.
So I decided to combine these elements and make play off of the two to create this dish. Instead of peanut butter, I decided to use one of my other favorite flavors — black sesame. So in this Black Sesame Raspberry Hong Kong Style French Toast we have layers of milk bread filled with black sesame paste and raspberry jam. It’s dipped in the egg custard and fried until golden brown. If you’re curious to know more, let me tell you how to make it!
Stack It Up
First, we have to make the black sesame paste. Add the black sesame seed into a food processor or spice grinder. Grind the sesame seeds into a fine powder then transfer it to a bowl. Mix in the honey and vegetable oil until it forms a paste.
Spread the black sesame paste onto 2 slices of milk bread. Then spread the raspberry jam onto 2 separate slices of milk bread. Stack the slice of black sesame bread onto the raspberry bread with the fillings facing up. Place the remaining slices of milk bread on top of each stack. Trim off the crusts on all sides.
In a shallow dish with sides, add in the milk, eggs, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk until combined. Dip each french toast into the egg custard mixture until all sides are coated, allow any excess to drip off.
Heat a large pan over medium low heat. Add in the butter and allow it to melt. Place the french toasts into the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes on all sides until golden brown all around. Serve the french toasts with a pad of butter and drizzle sweetened condensed milk on top.
Sweet And Nutty
This Black Sesame Raspberry Hong Kong Style French Toast almost reminds me of a more sophisticated peanut butter and jelly sandwich. The black sesame paste has a similar nutty flavor but with a bit more depth and bitterness. It’s perfectly complemented with the sweet and tart flavors of the raspberry jam. The black sesame paste and raspberry jam melt together when the french toast is cooked, creating a delicious gooey filling inside. I also love how the outside becomes slightly crisp from frying, but the inside of the milk bread is still soft and fluffy. The finishing touch of sweetened condensed milk only adds to the decadence of this dish in the best way. So if you want to try out Hong Kong Style French Toast, give this Black Sesame Raspberry Hong Kong Style French Toast a try!
Find more asian fusion recipes below:
Black Sesame Raspberry Hong Kong Style French Toast
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup Toasted Black Sesame Seeds
- 2 tsp Honey
- 2 tsp Vegetable Oil
- 6 slices Milk Bread (preferably stale)
- 3 tbsp Raspberry Jam
- ½ cup Whole Milk
- 2 Large Eggs
- ½ tsp Vanilla Extract
- pinch of Ground Cinnamon
- Pinch of Kosher Salt
- 2 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
- Additional Butter for serving
- Sweetened Condensed milk for serving
Instructions
- Add the black sesame seed into a food processor or spice grinder. Grind the sesame seeds into a fine powder then transfer it to a bowl. Mix in the honey and vegetable oil until it forms a paste.
- Spread the black sesame paste onto 2 slices of milk bread. Then spread the raspberry jam onto 2 separate slices of milk bread. Stack the slice of black sesame bread onto the raspberry bread with the fillings facing up. Place the remaining slices of milk bread on top of each stack. Trim off the crusts on all sides.
- In a shallow dish with sides, add in the milk, eggs, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk until combined. Dip each french toast into the egg custard mixture until all sides are coated, allow any excess to drip off.
- Heat a large pan over medium low heat. Add in the butter and allow it to melt. Place the french toasts into the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes on all sides until golden brown all around. Serve the french toasts with a pad of butter and drizzle sweetened condensed milk on top. Enjoy!
