Name: Gypsy toast with syrupy apricots and ice-cream
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 40 gm caster sugar; 2 eggs; 170 ml milk; Pinch of cinnamon; 4 thick slices of soft challah bread (200gm, see note); 100 gm butter, softened; To serve: vanilla bean ice-cream; For dusting: pure icing sugar; Syrupy apricots; 200 gm caster sugar; Scraped seeds of ½ vanilla bean; ½ cinnamon quill; 4 apricots, halved

Ingredients

40 gm caster sugar

2 eggs

170 ml milk

Pinch of cinnamon

4 thick slices of soft challah bread (200gm, see note)

100 gm butter, softened

To serve: vanilla bean ice-cream

For dusting: pure icing sugar

Syrupy apricots

200 gm caster sugar

Scraped seeds of ½ vanilla bean

½ cinnamon quill

4 apricots, halved

Method

Main

1.Whisk sugar, eggs, milk and cinnamon in a bowl, then dip each slice of bread in the mixture and set aside on a tray to absorb the liquid. Discard any leftover liquid.

2.For syrupy apricots, bring sugar, vanilla seeds, cinnamon and 100ml water to the boil in a saucepan over high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Add apricots and cook over low heat until tender (5-7 minutes). Keep warm.

3.Heat half the butter in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat, add 2 slices of bread and cook until golden on the base (2-3 minutes), then turn and cook until golden and crisp at the edges (2-3 minutes). Repeat with remaining butter and bread, and serve warm topped with apricots and a scoop of ice-cream and dusted with icing sugar.

Note Challah is a Jewish bread similar to brioche. It’s available from select delicatessens; thickly sliced soft white bread or brioche work as substitutes.
Notes