French Toast with Orange-Rooibos Syrup

This recipe comes courtesy of Donna Kashola, owner of All Things Tea in Camarillo, and is adapted from A Touch of Rooibos (Rooibos Ltd., 2009). Rooibos tea has notes of honey and spice, which make it an ideal pairing with orange. The syrup also works well on pancakes and waffles. Serves 4.
By / Photography By | March 09, 2016

Ingredients

SERVINGS: 4, 1 cup Serving(s)
  • ⅔ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
  • 1 teaspoon orange zest
  • 1 cup Rooibos Syrup (recipe below)
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • Pinch of salt
  • 4–5 thick slices of day-old bread (white or wheat)
  • 4 large eggs
  • ½ cup buttermilk
  • ½ cup chopped walnuts
Rooibos Syrup
  • 5 cups water
  • 5 tablespoons rooibos tea
  • ¼ cup orange blossom honey
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • Orange peel, 1-inch by 3-inch piece

Instructions

To make syrup, add orange juice, zest and Rooibos Syrup to a small, heavy-bottom saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally until it thickens, about 20 minutes. Stir in butter, vanilla and salt. Set aside and keep warm.

Whisk together eggs and buttermilk, and put in a shallow pan (a rectangular baking dish works well). Add bread and turn to coat both sides with the egg mixture. Leave bread to soak for a few minutes to absorb mixture.

Heat a pan over medium heat, lightly coat with cooking oil spray. Fry bread until it’s golden brown on each side.

To serve, top French toast with syrup and a sprinkling of chopped walnuts.

Rooibos Syrup

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Over medium-high heat, stir until sugar and honey are dissolved. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, keeping the syrup at a boil, stirring occasionally until the syrup is reduced to 1 1/2 cups, about 45–60 minutes. Strain syrup with a wire-mesh strainer. It’s OK if some tea leaves remain in syrup.

Rooibos Syrup can be made a day ahead.

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Ingredients

SERVINGS: 4, 1 cup Serving(s)
  • ⅔ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
  • 1 teaspoon orange zest
  • 1 cup Rooibos Syrup (recipe below)
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • Pinch of salt
  • 4–5 thick slices of day-old bread (white or wheat)
  • 4 large eggs
  • ½ cup buttermilk
  • ½ cup chopped walnuts
Rooibos Syrup
  • 5 cups water
  • 5 tablespoons rooibos tea
  • ¼ cup orange blossom honey
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • Orange peel, 1-inch by 3-inch piece