This post is sponsored by Natrel Lactose Free where we’ve been compensated monetarily and with groceries. Thank you for supporting the organizations and brands that support Poppytalk. All opinions are our own.
For the holidays (or any day really) it’s always nice to remind ourselves to be good to each other and to ourselves. Sometimes that means treating our people (okay, and ourselves) with something a little extra special! Like a whipped cream french toast breakfast perhaps?
But what if one of those special people you’re cooking for has an intolerance to lactose? We know this issue first hand, and for years it’s always been a little tricky creating special treats for those special days, and for the longest time, we had to avoid recipes that asked for milk. So we’ve been happy to find a delicious lactose free milk product (that tastes just like real milk) in our local grocers with Natrel Lactose Free.
So when we were invited to take the Natrel Lactose Free Taste Test Challenge featuring a recipe from their repertoire and making it once using their lactose free milk and then again using Island Farms regular milk, we had to try. We had never tried making it with a recipe side by side, so we were curious. The result? We honestly couldn’t tell the difference.
If you had asked us a few years back about shopping for lactose free milk, we’d say it was a little challenging. But now it’s nice to find that not only is the lactose free milk easily available at most of all of our local grocers, there’s also a selection of different percentages of milk fat, and perhaps one of our biggest thrills was when we spotted their lactose free whipping cream (35% cream) earlier this year!
Now on to the recipe! We’re kicking off the holidays this year starting with a delicious lactose free breakfast recipe. If we’re being honest, it’s kind of like part strawberry shortcake, part whipped cream extravaganza! Why not take a breakfast favorite to the next level? A treat to enjoy when it’s time to take in quality time with your family or friends. So, grab a special someone and two forks and enjoy!
atrel Lactose Free offers a Canadian twist on a classic breakfast favourite. French toast with flavours of orange and cinnamon topped with lactose free maple whipped cream make for a decadent breakfast or dessert that’s sure to impress.
French Toast with Orange Zest and Maple Whipped Cream
Prep time: 10 minutes Cooking Time: 10 minutes Total time: 20 minutes Yields: 2 servings
Ingredients
Maple Whipped Cream
¼ cup (60 mL) cold water
2 tsp. (10 mL) gelatine powder
1 cup (250 mL) Natrel Lactose Free 3.25% Milk
3 tbsp. (45 mL) icing sugar
¼ tsp. (1 mL) vanilla extract
3 tbsp. (45 mL) pure maple syrup
French Toast
4 slices of crusty bread
4 eggs
½ cup (125 mL) Natrel Lactose Free 2% Milk
1 orange (juice and zest)
1 tbsp. (15 mL) honey
¼ tsp. (1 mL) cinnamon
1 pinch of sea salt
¼ cup (60 mL) roasted hazelnuts, chopped (we used pecans)
2 tbsp. (30 mL) coconut oil
½ cup (125 mL) strawberries, sliced
Optional Toppings:
If you want to take this recipe to the next level (like us), try some of these over-the-top optional topping suggestions. Icing sugar, drizzled icing (mix icing sugar with lemon juice to a drizzly state), caramel popcorn, perhaps even meringue (torched), sprinkles, chocolate chips —the sky’s the limit! And have fun!
Preparation
Maple Whipped Cream:
Add water to a small saucepan. Sprinkle gelatine powder in water and let the mixture expand. Melt the mixture on low, do not boil. When smooth, add in Natrel lactose free milk using a whisk. Turn off the heat. Beat the mixture for 30 seconds. Add the sugar and vanilla extract to the milk mixture. Mix together using a whisk.
Refrigerate for about 1 hour, taking care to stir the mixture every 15 to 20 minutes.
When the milk mixture is nice and gelatinous, transfer it to a bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat the mixture for 15 minutes or until the texture resembles whipped cream. Mix in the maple syrup and beat again until the mixture forms soft peaks. Set aside.
French Toast:
In a shallow dish, mix eggs, milk, honey, cinnamon, sea salt, orange zest and orange juice. Whisk until well combined.
Dip each slice of bread into the egg mixture and let sit on each side for 2 minutes.
Melt the coconut oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat.
Add bread and cook until golden and brown. Flip and repeat.
Top with whipped cream, chopped toasted walnuts and some sliced strawberries.
Tip: For whipped cream that’s ready in no time, use Natrel Lactose Free 35% Cream (available in Quebec, Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba). Simply beat ¾ cup (180 mL) of cream with an electric mixer while gradually adding ¼ cup (60 mL) of maple syrup.
