CHALLAH BREAD FRENCH TOAST with VERMONT MAPLE SYRUP

                                                               
French Toast
There are few breakfasts that knock my socks off. French Toast is definitely one of them. Eggs Benedict and German Pancakes take a close second and third. I don't make French Toast as a typical breakfast though. It's reserved for special weekends or when we show up as company with a bottle of maple syrup. I love making it with either Challah Bread or Portuguese Sweet Bread. Maybe I'll add cinnamon to the batter, other times I put a teaspoon of vanilla in it and sometimes I have been known to get wild and sprinkle powdered sugar on top! The French Toast always gets a big pat of butter or two and ALWAYS gets doused with pure Vermont Maple Syrup!
                                                                                 
Challah Bread
Challah Bread is very popular during the Easter season and is traditionally eaten on the Sabbath. I could eat it all year long! Challah is sometimes called an Egg Bread due to the large amount of eggs in it. It is very similar to Portuguese Sweet Bread, although a bit firmer and not quite as sweet. My Portuguese Sweet Bread is made with  quite a bit of butter making it a much richer and heavier bread. Some bakers add raisins to the dough and others sprinkle seeds on top. I also love using it for bread pudding.
                                                                                 
Vermont Maple Syrup
I can't imagine how anyone can go through the trouble to make a really great French Toast and then use an imitation bottled "maple syrup". Having lived in Vermont, I may be biased, but I firmly believe Vermont produces the absolute BEST maple syrup anywhere. Vermont is the biggest producer in the US, followed by Maine and New York. The short Vermont maple syrup season usually starts in early March and goes through April ~ roughly 6-8 weeks long. There are always big festivals and "Sugar-on-Snow" parties. Dakin Farms in Ferrisburgh Vermont, has one of the biggest Maple Syrup Sugarhouses in the state. We've been there during many sugaring seasons for pancake breakfasts.

Grades of Maple Syrup
Most people like Grade A Light Amber also known as fancy grade syrup and generally the most expensive. There's a reason they call this "Liquid Gold". My favorite is Grade A Dark Amber or Grade B. I think it has more flavor which makes it perfect for cooking and baking. When we go home to visit family, we always pick up at least 6 decorative glass bottles to bring back as gifts. We save the big jug for ourselves!