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1. Make the cranberries: Whisk together the rum, maple syrup, molasses, orange zest and juice, and tamari in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Once the liquid comes to a boil, add the cranberries, cover the pot, and lower to the heat to a simmer for 20 minutes. Keep warm.
2. Make the syrup: Place the juniper berries, coconut milk, rice syrup and vanilla in a saucepan, and cook over medium heat until bubbling. Remove from the heat and allow to steep, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
3. In a 2- to 3-quart saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the evaporated cane juice and margarine, whisking very frequently as the sugar melts and becomes slightly golden. Once the sugar has reached a reddish brown color (about 350 degrees Fahrenheit) remove the pot from the heat, and strain the pot of juniper coconut milk into the sugar. Whisk thoroughly to dissolve all sugar and emulsify. Mix in the fleur de sel, and keep warmed until ready to serve. (Any remaining syrup can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a month. If crystallization occurs, bring the syrup to a boil again before serving.)
4. Make the French toast batter: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, allspice and salt. Add the coconut oil, beer, maple syrup, and soy milk, and whisk together to form a smooth, thin batter.
5. Cook the French toast: Melt 2 tablespoons of the margarine (or coconut oil) in a large skillet or frying pan on the stove over medium heat. Cut the slices of bread in halt, if desired, and submerge them on both sides in the batter. Fry all slices for about 3 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Add more margarine or coconut oil to the pan for subsequent batches of toast.
6. Place 2 pieces (or 4 halves) of toast on each plate. Top each serving with a heaping ¼ cup of warm simmered cranberries and 2 tablespoons of warm caramel, and garnish with cinnamon and powdered sugar, if desired.
If you wish, add a dollop of the following:
Pumpkin Brown Butter
- 6 tablespoons melted coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons canned pumpkin puree
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
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Place the coconut oil, pumpkin puree, maple syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a high-speed blender and blend on high for 60 seconds, until smooth and emulsified. Pour into an airtight container and chill for at least 3 hours. (The butter can be kept refrigerated for up to 2 weeks).
Our assessment: This French toast and all the trimmings is absolutely to die for! "I will never forget that first bite: that delightful crunch from the French toast, followed by experiencing the lovely combination of the sourness of berries and the sweetness of salted caramel syrup," Kelly says.
If any of your guests follow a vegan diet, serve them this and they will love you forever; if veganism isn’t an issue, feel free to substitute real butter for coconut oil or “vegan butter,” and whole milk for soy milk.
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Here’s how to make it ahead of time:
Make the Juniper Salted Caramel Sauce a couple weeks early (it stays good for a month). Dried juniper berries can be found at many health food stores. If you can't find them, try substituting a tablespoon of gin (which is made from juniper berries and therefore tastes like them). Serve the sauce with waffles and bananas, or try drizzling it over vanilla ice cream or even apple pie. It could easily become your go-to caramel sauce.
The Pumpkin Brown Butter also keeps well for two weeks. "For pumpkin lovers, this butter is a must," Kelly says. "It adds that 'something extra.' " Consider serving it with rolls for Thanksgiving dinner.
Make the Rummy Cranberries the day before Thanksgiving. We learned that it's more flavorful on the second day, after the berries have had a chance to soak up the rum. It reheats well in the microwave or on the stove, and can also be served with Thanksgiving dinner.
If you like crispy French toast, you'll have to make it that morning. But it's not that much more time-consuming than making regular French toast. If you don't care if it's crispy or not, make it ahead of time: Let it cool completely, then seal in plastic baggies. When the time comes, heat it up in the microwave.
If you aren't interested in putting all four recipes together, consider mixing and matching. You have a total of 15 possible ways to serve them separately or combined. Be creative and use them to suit your needs.
From the book: "Street Vegan: Recipes and Dispatches from the Cinnamon Snail Food Truck" by Adam Sobel; 272 pages, $25. Published by Clarkson Potter, 2015.
What you get: This collection of 150 recipes that will challenge the way you think of vegan cuisine. These recipes are gourmet all the way. We want to try New England-style Chickpea "Crab" Cakes with Lemon Dijon Tartar Sauce; Wild Mushroom, Spinach and Potato Soup; and Mini Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecakes.
In his own words: "I don't make food that pretends to be something it isn't — just food that's overwhelmingly made with love and with intentions to make the world a more blissful, peaceful place."
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