Maple pumpkin ginger toasts

Tastier than French toast, easier than pie

Published October 12, 2010 12:20AM (EDT)

Pumpkin is the flavor of fall and I use it to flavor Bostock, the French toast with the funny name. Using Francis Lam’s formula, I infused challah slices with maple syrup, slathered them with seasoned pumpkin butter, broiled them and topped them with snappy crystallized ginger.

I didn't harvest our homegrown fruit for this treat, instead using canned pumpkin.

Pumpkin Butter

This makes quite a large amount. You may halve this quantity, or make the whole and freeze it until Christmas; a jar of pumpkin butter is a coveted gift.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup apple cider or apple juice
  • 1½ teaspoons ginger
  • 1½ teaspoons cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon cloves
  • 1 tablespoon orange zest
  • 2 tablespoons orange juice
  • 1¼ cups sugar
  • Pinch salt
  • 2 (15 ounce) cans pumpkin purée

Directions

  1. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine apple cider, flavorings and sugar. Stir and let come to a boil. Lower heat and stir in pumpkin purée. Let cool. Place in plastic container and keep in refrigerator.

Maple Glaze

Ingredients

  • ½ cup maple syrup
  • ½ cup water
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla
  • Pinch salt

Directions

  1. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine all ingredients. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat and let cool.

Pumpkin Bostock with Maple & Ginger

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 recipe Maple Glaze
  • ½ cup Pumpkin Butter
  • 6 slices stale challah bread, 1½ inches thick
  • 1 tablespoon crystallized ginger, finely chopped

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°. Prepare a sheet pan with foil and a nonstick grid, if you have one. Dip bread slices in maple glaze and squeeze out extra liquid. Place on grid-covered baking sheet.
  2. Spread each toast with pumpkin butter. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes. Your kitchen will be unbelievably fragrant at this point.
  3. Remove toasts from ovens and sprinkle with chopped crystallized ginger. Serve with hot, black coffee.


By Lucy Mercer

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