Tasty Tuesday: The Famous Toastery and the Kings Toast
Chef Joe Cardinale joined Tyler Ryan to talk about the french toast treat Elvis loved on a Tasty Tuesday
COLUMBIA SC (WOLO) — According to Famous Toastery Chef Joe Cardinale, it was the favorite treat of Elvis – The Fools Gold Loaf. It’s this very treat of the King that inspired Chef Joe’s visit on a Valentines Day Tasty Tuesday.
Here is Chef Joe’s shopping list for Candied Pecans, Bacon Jam, and of course, the preparation that will allow you to eat like a King.
Elvis Stuffed French Toast with Bacon Jam and Candied Pecans
Candied Pecans (Requires Advance Preparation)
1 C Pecan Halves
2 Tbsp Honey
1/2 tsp Smoked sea salt
1/8 tsp Cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Sugar
Preheat the oven to 225 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and grease it with butter.
In a small mixing bowl, toss the pecans with the honey to coat. Add the remaining ingredients and coat the nuts evenly.
Spread the nuts on the sheet pan taking care not to crowd them and bake for 10 minutes. Let the nuts cool on the tray before removing them and storing in an airtight container.
Bacon Jam (Requires Advance Preparation)
1/2 # Bacon, julienne
1 Small sweet onion, minced
2 Tbsp Sugar in the Raw
1/2 tsp Tabasco sauce
Pinch each of ground cinnamon, nutmeg and clove
1/4 C Kentucky Whiskey
1/4 C Espresso or strong coffee
1 Tbsp Sherry vinegar
1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
2 Tbsp 100% pure maple syrup
3 Tbsp Ketchup
Brown the bacon in a sauce pot over medium-low heat. Drain off all but 2 Tbsp of the fat and add the onion. Cook gently until the onion is soft, taking care not to burn it. Add the Tabasco sauce and the spices and continue to cook 2-3 minutes longer.
Deglaze the pan with the whiskey and the coffee, scraping up any brown bits that have accumulated on the bottom of the pot. Add the vinegar, Worcestershire and maple syrup and continue to cook over low heat for 20-30 minutes until the mixture has thickened. Stir in the ketchup and remove the pot from the heat. Pulse the jam in a food processor and keep warm near the stove.
For the French Toast
1.5 C Half and Half
3 Eggs
2 tsp Vanilla
1/4 C Banana flavored pudding mix
2 TBSP Sugar
Combine all ingredients, moving quickly so the pudding mix does not set.
Honey Roasted Peanut Butter Filling
1/2 C Philadelphia Cream Cheese
1/4 C Honey Roasted Peanut Butter
Allow the cream cheese to come to room temperature and blend with the peanut butter using an electric mixer. You want the filling to be smooth and uniform.
8 Pieces of Texas toast
1 large banana, sliced thinly
Powdered Sugar
Whipped Cream
Spread the peanut butter-cream cheese mixture evenly on the top side of each piece of bread. Arrange the sliced bananas on every other piece and put the two pieces together so you have a total of four sandwiches. Dip the sandwiches in the batter and place on a preheated, greased griddle or frying pan and cook for 2-3 minutes per side until they are heated through and evenly browned. Cut each sandwich in half on the bias and arrange four pieces on a plate. Dust the french toast with powdered sugar and spoon the bacon jam evenly over the pieces. Garnish with whipped cream and the candied pecans.
Chef Joe also offers these french toast hacks for home:
You can make almost everything the night before.If you have any leftovers they can be re-purposed in other ways.
The candied pecans can be made ahead of time and stored in an airtight container for up to one week. They go great on almost any salad and make a great accompaniment to a cheese and fruit plate.
The bacon jam can be made ahead of time and makes a great topping for a cheeseburger.
You can make the filling and assemble the sandwiches with the banana slices the night before and store them in the refrigerator until you’re ready to eat.
If you do all of your prep the night before the only thing you should have to do the morning of is make your french toast batter and reheat the bacon jam.
