cinnamon bacon chevre french toast

so i’m on a bit of a bacon kick these days… thanks to the noble efforts and enthusiasm of my good friend krysta who hosted baconpalooza this weekend! what’s baconpalooza, you ask? well, it was a fabulous soiree celebrating all things bacon… candied bacon, chocolate-covered bacon, stuffed bacon jalapenos, bacon & fig dip, bacon crackers, bacon caesars — everything bacon!

this morning, i figured i’d keep the bacon frenzy alive… and infuse a little bacon into one of my fave brunch standards — french toast! mmmm… bacon…

the bacon:
- heat up 2-3 tbsp water in large saucepan on medium heat
- add 4 strips of country-style bacon to pan
- lightly sprinkle 1 tsp ground cinnamon over bacon
- fry bacon in pan for a few min until slightly crispy on both sides (optional: sprinkle a bit more cinnamon after flipping the bacon.)
- remove from heat & set aside bacon on plate to cool
- pat bacon w/ papertowels to remove excess fat & oil
- reserve bacon fat in pan for cooking the egg-soaked bread (optional) 

i like to use wholewheat sourdough when i make french toast. the taste & texture of sourdough is perfect for this dish — soaking up the egg and complementing the flavourful toppings. my fave bread is the locally-made, artisan sourdough from sidewalk citizen bakery. (if you are in the calgary area, aviv’s artisan bread is a must-try!)

prep the toast:
- whisk 1 large egg & 1 tsp ground cinnamon in medium prep bowl
- soak 2 thick slices of artisan sourdough bread (on both sides, until egg mixture is absorbed into bread)

- melt 2 tsp of unsalted butter in large saucepan

(tip: no need to add butter to the pan, if you still have the leftover bacon fat in the pan.)

the filling:
- add sourdough slices to pan for 1-2 min on each side, or until egg-soaked bread is toasted golden brown
- spread chevre frais & 1 tbsp plain greek yogurt on each slice of egg-soaked sourdough

(tip: if you have any leftover egg mixture in the prep bowl, feel free to pour it over the bread in pan at start of cooking.)

- add some thin slices of fresh strawberries and sandwich the sourdough slices together.

(tip: best to choose a variety of cheese that melts nicely; goat cheese and brie work well here. i picked chevre frais for its smooth texture and rich, savory flavour to complement the savory bacon and the sweet cinnamon & strawberries.)

- double ingredient quantities above for 2 servings

food styling:
- drizzle honey over toast sandwich
- lightly dust w/ icing sugar
- best served warm

(tip: use a small mesh strainer for a more ‘dusted’ effect. or if you don’t have one, lightly sprinkle the icing sugar using your fingers.)

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