Apple Butter French Toast: Calvados apple butter, roasted Pink Lady apple rings, sliced Granny Smith apples, toasted hazelnuts, apple syrup and whipped crème fraîche atop slices of challah French toast
Credit: Brianna Danner, AF&Co.;
Apple Upon Apple Upon French Toast
Early to Rise | San Francisco
Andrew McCormack
At Early to Rise, a premium brunch concept, the Apple Butter French Toast transforms apples into a rich, indulgent centerpiece. The dish starts with housemade challah bread, soaked in a buttermilk custard and griddled in brown butter. Then it goes all-in on the iconic American fruit. “The goal is to create a dish where every bite offers a different expression of apples,” says Andrew McCormack, chef/owner.
The French toast is topped with a thick spread of housemade apple butter, featuring a two-to-one ratio of green and Pink Lady apples, cooked down to a deeply caramelized, velvety texture. A few ounces of Calvados apple brandy deepen the flavor. The dish also features layers of roasted apple rings caramelized in butter and brown sugar. “In our pop-up days, we used straight maple syrup, but I had this idea to steep raw green apples in the syrup overnight. It transformed it, adding incredible depth and a brightness I didn’t expect,” says McCormack. The French toast is finished with toasted hazelnuts for crunch and a dollop of whipped crème fraîche. “There’s a lot of craftsmanship involved in this dish, but at its core, it’s comforting and familiar—something your grandma might make, with flavors that bring you home. It’s relatable, joyful and deeply satisfying.”
About the Author
Patricia Fitzgerald serves different roles on the Flavor & The Menu team, including writing custom content, Kitchen Collaborative chef spotlights and digital editorial content, as well as acting as a contributing editor for the print magazine. As owner of PFitzCommunications, she specializes in various areas of foodservice and hospitality, while also maintaining clients in other industries and professions. She can be reached at pfitzcommunications@gmail.com.Read More Stories by Patricia Fitzgerald
Best of Flavor Insights: Drinks That Sparkle High-impact ingredients for a better beverage
Clockwise from top left: Red Dragon, Jarana,...
Best of Flavor Insights: Sauce Makes the Pizza Thinking beyond red, white and green
Thousand Island dressing is transformed into a tangy sauce in...
An Upscale Spin on Crab Rangoons Beautiful South | Charleston, S.C.
Crab “Rangoon”: Crab whipped with cream cheese, served with chile gastrique, scallion and wonton...
