Instead of serving the regular breakfast sausage, try chorizo. The soufflés will rise evenly if you use a pastry brush to butter the inside sides of the moulds and you use vertical strokes from the bottom to the top all the way around. Regular white bread can be used in place of the Challah.
ingredients
French Toast Soufflé
Chorizo
directions
Heat the butter in a medium nonstick pan on medium heat until bubbling. Stir in the spices and add the bread cubes. Fry, tossing, until golden, about 2 minutes.
Butter and sugar 6 individual 3-inch ramekins. Put the toasted bread cubes in the bottom and set aside.
Bring the milk, sugar and vanilla bean to a boil in a medium saucepan.
Sift the flour, cornstarch and salt into a bowl. Add the butter and the sifted mixture to the boiling milk and mix until smooth and thick, stirring during the entire cooking time, about 4 to 5 minutes.
Remove this soufflé base from the heat and beat in the egg yolks one at a time until well incorporated.
Butter a stainless steel bowl lightly and add the soufflé base to it, cover tightly with plastic wrap.
Let cool to room temperature and then refrigerate until chilled, about 3 hours.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Whip the egg whites with the cream of tartar until stiff peaks form, then fold into the soufflé base a 1/3 at a time.
Put the mixture into the molds and bake for 30 – 35 minutes. Do not open the oven door during baking. When the time is up remove from the oven.
Slice the chorizo sausage on the diagonal, 1/2-inch thick.
Heat the oil in a medium saucepan on medium heat and add the chorizo.
Sauté until browned, about 4 minutes per side.
Pierce the tops of the French Toast at the table and drizzle in some maple syrup.
Serve with the chorizo.