Light Cream Cheese, Banana & Coconut Pain Perdu
Pain perdu, which is the French name for French toast, is a great brunch treat or a surprising dinner party dessert. Caramelizing the bananas gives a texture and flavour variation that elevates this everyday fruit.
¼ cup (60 mL) coconut, shredded, unsweetened
1 egg
1 Tbsp (15 mL) skim milk
1 Tbsp (15 mL) rum
2 tsp (10 mL) unsalted butter
8 slices baguette, each 1 in. (2.5 cm) thick
3 Tbsp (45 mL) light cream cheese
1 large banana, cut diagonally into 8 slices (1-in./2.5-cm) thick)
4 tsp (20 mL) maple syrup
Preheat oven to 350°F. Toast shredded coconut on a baking sheet for a few minutes until lightly brown. Remove from baking sheet and set aside. Beat egg, milk and rum together. Melt 1 tsp (5 mL) butter in a medium sauté pan on medium heat. Dip each slice of bread in egg mixture and place in pan. Cook on both sides until golden brown. Remove from pan. Spread cream cheese thinly on one side of each slice. Set aside. Add remaining butter to pan. Place banana slices in pan and cook, turning once, until lightly brown and caramelized on both sides. Place a cooked banana piece on top of each bread slice. To serve, set two pieces on each plate. Top with toasted coconut and a drizzle of maple syrup. Serves four.
Per serving: 378 calories, 11 g protein, 14 g fat (11 g saturated fat), 53 g carbohydrates, 5 g fibre, 11 mg cholesterol, 491 mg sodium
Best Health Magazine, January/February 2010; photograhpy by Edward Pond
