It’s golden. It’s soft. It wakes you up in a way few breakfasts can: With a cascade of sweetness that sinks softly into your taste buds. French toast is proof that sometimes, the most extraordinary dishes come from the simplest ingredients. And once compound butter lands on the syrup-drenched bread, it only gets better. So comforting and nuanced yet also subtly sophisticated, this one-ingredient twist is the creative gateway your French toast has been calling for.
Don’t be intimidated by the name. Compound butter is nothing more than softened butter whipped with herbs, spices, and other flavorings, chilled until firm. It’s often a mouth-watering addition for steak, and you’ll enjoy it just as much on French toast. Infinitely rich at the base, it melts a decadent undertone into every nook and cranny of the dish. But that classic buttery scent is only the beginning. Tangled in between are sweet, savory, or perhaps even herbaceous notes that breathe new life into your French toast. As the familiar warmth settles in, simply relishing in the harmonious way everything comes together can be pure heaven. One sweep of a butter knife and this classic dish is reimagined into a better version of itself.
Compound butter does it all
Sweet or savory, there’s always a compound butter that perfectly matches your French toast. In search of sweetness, you’ll often find it in fruit jam, fully infusing the butter with its vibrancy and intensity. Just imagine the bread’s custardy base mingling with berry or orange vanilla compound butter, effortlessly taking on those sweet-tart flavors. The same twist can also be used for a plateful of strawberries and cream French toast, each mascarpone-cream-laced bread slice baked to perfection. Of course, also feel free to layer different fruits into one dish. Pecan compound butter, for example, makes for even better French toast when joined by apple and cranberry compotes.
Brown sugar is another common compound butter flavoring, frequently mixed with cinnamon, nutmeg, and other warm spices. You could also try whiskey, maple syrup, and sea salt, which creates delicious waves of sweet and salty complexities. When fall rolls around, a spoonful is all you need to embrace the seasonal essence.
When you want something a bit out-of-the-ordinary, savory French toast slathered in compound butter is the answer. Garlic compound butter, with its pungent, peppery undertone, works like a dream with herb-loaded bread. Add a fried egg or a few slices of bacon on top, and your breakfast has never been better. You can even give French toast a savory twist to switch up breakfast for dinner. Sometimes, it’s just a spread of caramelized onion compound butter away, possibly over the tangy crust of melted cheese.
