Cinnamon Cocoa French Toast

Happy Finals Week!

Today's recipe is a collegiate adaptation made to de-stress my floormate Emma after a long 8am final :)

The beauty of the end of the semester means having to empty one's room of all edible articles. For me, this includes an entire freezer full of bagels. So when Emma requested french toast, I decided to explore the different types of bread that can make french toast...aka all the breads.

The Recipe: Cinnamon Cocoa French Toast

• 1 Panera Bread Cinnamon Crunch Bagel
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup Fat Free Milk
• 1 tsp Canola Oil (in the mix)
• 1 tbsp Canola Oil (on the pan)
• 1/2 package of Swiss Miss Hot Cocoa Powder

The Process: 

1. Slice the bagel to desired thickness. I went with 1/2-3/4 inch slices. 
2. Break an egg into any container that is at least as deep as the bagel slices are thick. 
3. Add the milk, oil, and hot cocoa. 
4. Whisk completely with a fork. 
5. Allow bagel slices to soak in the mixture, flipping once one side is saturated. When you are done, the entire mixture should be essentially inside the bagel slices. 
6. Heat a pan with oil until the oil spreads out across the surface of the pan. 
7. On medium heat, cook soaked bagel slices on the pan for a few minutes. Watch for the edges of the french toast to begin to bubble and brown. With a spatula, feel free to check the french toast. An easy way to tell if they are close to done without turning them over is by nudging them slightly; if they slide easily across the pan, they are most likely close to done. If they stick to the pan, they are not ready to be flipped. 
8. Once they are ready to be flipped, simply allow the entire batch to slide onto another pan (in my case a pie tin) and then flip this dish over onto the first pan so that the french toast is flipped. 
9. Allow this side to cook. 
10. Once they are done, remove from the pan and sprinkle with powdered sugar. 
11. Enjoy :)

The Calories: 

Bagel: 420 calories

Egg: 78 calories

Milk: 21 calories

Oil: 160 calories (if all oil is used, however much of it will remain in the pan)

Cocoa Powder: 45 calories

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TOTAL: 724 calories

Okay, so this isn't the most healthy recipe, but as I'm constantly reminded, "It's finals season! All bets are off." It's one thing to eat this way constantly, but it's another to treat yo' self after a stressful final. 

What went right: 

          I was told that it tasted very very good and did not even need syrup (yay, because I didn't have any!). Usually, I would take this with a grain of salt because friends are usually going to tell you that they like something you've done even if it's not that amazing. However, psychology has taught me that when something tastes good, each bite spends less time in our mouths, and this dish was polished off in a mere few minutes :) 

          Speaking of only a few minutes, from start to finish, this recipe probably took 20 minutes, about half of which was waiting time while the bagel soaked, which can always be used for other productive endeavors like paper writing ;) Super doable for the time-crunched college student! The short cooking time made it easy to not feel stressed about losing time, and because I love cooking it was also a flow activity that helped me de-stress in preparation for my final last night. 

What went wrong: 

            I'd go with nothing on this one. It wasn't as healthy as I hoped it would be, but it was definitely more healthy than it could have been by using only one egg, low fat milk, and cooking it in oil instead of butter. As we've discussed previously, while both oil and butter are composed entirely of fats (lipids), butter is primarily composed of saturated fats, which allows it to remain solid at room temperature, and oils are primarily composed of unsaturated fats, which makes them more fluid at room temperature. Unsaturated fats, in moderation of course, are healthier than saturated fats. 

Would I do it again?: 

           Definitely. And I probably will before all is said and done this semester. 

What would I do differently: 

           It would be fun to play with toppings and fillings, like nutella, peanut butter, jams/jellies...I think all of the above would bode well :) 

Overall, a great recipe that I'm very glad I made for my friend :) While college teaches us to look out for ourselves and our own needs, it also teaches us the importance of supporting one another. Personally, I always look out for those who look out for me, and genuinely believe that it has been a major source of my success. Look out, T3...lots of food to come your way <3 

The workout: 

Even though this was more healthy than most french toast, it still needs a workout. Emma and I often work out together at the WoodPEC, usually burning 300-400 calories in a short elliptical workout. This is enough to offset the calorie amount of this meal to a normal caloric intake for a brunch meal. 

In theory, the portion I made is enough for two people to share as a single meal, which would bring the calories per serving down to 362.