French Toast with Caramelized Bananas and Walnuts

Since I've arrived back on the island from summer break, I've had a craving for french toast. I decided that I wouldn't make it until I had the time to enjoy making and eating it, and until I had all the right ingredients. Finding all the right ingredients is tough here, but it was a success! I found a lovely little bakery in the city of St. George's called The Merry Baker. It is owned and run by a friendly South African couple who agreed to bake me a fresh loaf of brioche (even though it wasn't one of their regular items). Once I had that, I had to decide what I would add to my french toast to take it to another level. I could not use that wonderful fresh bread on just a simple french toast. My first idea was to make an amaretto-flavored french toast, but I could not find a nice small bottle of amaretto here. The next idea was to top it with fresh berries, but as strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries are not grown locally, they are expensive and hard to find. I decided on the caramelized bananas since they can be found grown locally everywhere on the island. It was my first time making a caramel sauce, but it turned out to be easier than I expected and so delicious! 

Ingredients:
French Toast:
4 thick slices of brioche bread
2 eggs
1/2 cup of milk
1 tablespoon of sugar
1/2 teaspoon of almond essence (this can be substituted with an extra 1/4 tsp of vanilla)
1/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract
3-4 tablespoons of butter

Caramelized Banana and Walnut Topping:
2 ripe bananas, sliced thick at an angle
1/4 cup of walnuts
2 tablespoons of butter
4 tablespoons of light brown sugar

To Make the French Toast:
Whisk together the eggs, milk, sugar, almond essence, and vanilla. Once they are well combined, pour the batter in a shallow dish large enough for dipping the bread slices. Place a slice of bread into the batter and let it soak for at least 30 seconds. Flip the bread over to let the other side soak. Heat 1/2 tablespoon of butter in a medium-sized frying pan over medium heat. Once it has melted, add the soaked slice of bread to the pan. Fry until that side is golden brown and flip, adding more butter if necessary. When both sides are nicely browned, the french toast is finished! Repeat with the remaining slices. You may serve this as is, or topped with syrup, fresh fruit, or powdered sugar.
*Note: French toast is best made with day old bread, so try to buy your bread a day ahead and it will be perfect when you are ready for it!

To Make the Caramelized Banana and Walnut Topping:
Melt the butter over medium heat in a small frying pan, and add the sliced bananas to the pan. Sprinkle in the sugar and flip the bananas, being careful not to cook them too much. Once the caramel sauce starts to bubble, add the walnuts and cook for a few more seconds. Remove from the heat and immediately spoon the topping over your french toast. 
*Be careful not to cook the caramel sauce too long or the sugar may re-crystallize and turn your sauce into candy.

 Beautiful brioche loaf

Nice thick slices