Skinny Gypsy Toast, yum, yum!
French toast has its humble beginnings in 4th century Rome, even before the Middle Ages (5th to 15th century) in Medieval Europe.
The Romans took their day-old bread, soaked it in an egg and milk mixture and fried it. They called it pain perdu 'lost bread,' and it is even mentioned in the ancient recipe book, Apicius.
Today the dish is known by many names including Eggy bread, Gypsy toast, and Spanish toast.
Two slices of French toast, made with everyday white sandwich bread dunked in an egg-milk-cinnamon mixture and fried, racks up about 300 calories and 32 carbs without syrup or powdered sugar. That tally goes up with fancier breads like brioche and sugary toppings like jam, whipped cream or syrup.
But the dish can be made with far fewer carbs and calories and it makes a tasty, filling, no-guilt breakfast.
Skinny Gypsy Toast
(makes 4 servings)
8 slices of low-carb bread
1/2 cup cream
(Half the carbs of milk)
4 large eggs
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon or to taste
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
4 teaspoon butter
for frying
1 teaspoon sugar substitute
In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks, milk, salt, cinnamon and vanilla. Pour into a square cake pan to make dipping easier. Place bread slices in egg mixture, flip once, after fully coated and soaked through.
Melt 1 to 2 teaspoons of butter in the pan over medium-high heat. Fry bread slices until golden brown on both sides. Add butter between batches.
For your trouble, your Skinny Gypsy Toast is delicious as is or with sugar-free syrup or jam (but topping will bring up the carb and calorie count.)
Estimated nutritional cost for one slice:
5 grams carbohydrates
(net carb count: 5 g)
6 grams protein
3 grams fat
75 calories
