Fall into French Toast

In the spirit of not being over dramatic, I have to say this may just be the best thing I've ever made.

What You'll Need (per portion)
1 Honeycrisp apple, in 1/2" slices
3" wide slice of Ciabatta, halved
2 Tbsp butter
1 Egg
2 Tbsp Coconut milk (any milk will work)
1/4 cup Mascarpone
4 Tbsp Pure Maple Syrup, separated (don't pull a Mrs Butterworth's on this one)
Vanilla Extract
Cinnamon
Nutmeg (preferably whole, grated fresh)
Salt
Pepper


The Apples
The trick here is to caramelize the apples quickly, but not cook them all the way through. You want them to maintain their structure and not get mushy.

Melt 1 tbsp of butter on medium-high heat and add the apples in a single layer, flesh side down. Cook for 30-60 seconds per side-- just long enough to brown. Flip using tongs.


The French Toast
Whisk together the egg, milk, and one tbsp of maple syrup. Sprinkle generously with cinnamon, add a pinch of salt, and a few turns of pepper. (yes, pepper -- it's a trick my mom uses and adds something special).

Soak each piece of ciabatta thoroughly. Ciabatta has a lot of air pockets, which will keep it from absorbing too much of the mixture.

Melt the other tbsp of butter on medium (to medium-low) heat, and add the bread, face side down. Cook for about 3 minutes, until it is golden brown, then cook on the remaining three sides for about 1-2 minutes each.


The Maple Mascarpone Sauce
Sir together the mascarpone, remaining maple syrup, a splash of vanilla, and a generous sprinkle of cinnamon (I love Penzy's Vietnamese Cinnamon for this).


Assemble
Top the french toast with the apples and generously drizzle with the maple mascarpone sauce. Grate whole nutmeg over the top.

Enjoy!