French toast is a warm, welcoming breakfast that can turn any day into a bright one, even when it is not breakfast time. And some of the best French toasts have been prepared in a hurry, with leftover bread, but by a loving cook who wanted to shower you with some extra love.

There are as many variations of the classic French toast as there are cooks and people’s preferences. And there is no right way or wrong way of making it — or so I like to believe, since I like experimenting according to what I am craving for and what I have in the pantry.

So the recipe of baked Nutella French loaf I am sharing today is another experiment of mine in the kitchen. And it is a delicious and easy variation that will appeal to most taste buds. The fact that there was no frying and no extra butter, made it feel so light. But if you are the kind who enjoys a dash of butter, then you can brush the loaf with butter before pouring the egg mixture.

Ingredients

• 1 long bread loaf

• 1 egg

• 2/3 cup milk

• 1/3 cup sugar

• Few drops vanilla essence

• Nutella spread

Method

Slice the loaf in half, then make about half-inch, slice cuts, stopping just before reaching the bottom of the loaf so that the slices remain attached at the bottom. Place in a microwave/oven-proof dish.

Put Nutella spread in each cut of the slice, covering both sides. Keep aside.

In a bowl, mix egg, sugar and vanilla essence. Take a spoon and pour this mixture over the loaf, dripping over all the slices. When all the mixture is poured, gently roll the loaf all around to further coat/soak the egg mixture well on all sides.

Microwave for about three to four minutes, depending on your microwave. Mine took four minutes. You can also bake it in the oven, which would take about 20-25 minutes at 180 degrees centigrade. But the time also depends on how much of the egg mixture is at the bottom of the bowl and how much is soaked by the bread loaf. The more the remaining mixture, the longer it will take, so you need to keep checking until the egg mixture is cooked.

If you want a well-soaked and very soft French toast, I suggest you use two eggs and a cup of milk. And this will also increase the cooking time. Experiment and see how you like it, this one is a bit on the drier side, which tastes great.

You can add toppings of fruits, such as bananas, strawberries, etc., as well as honey. I had some whipped cream frosting, which I used. Let me assure you that while I will not get any brownie points for the unsymmetrical lines I made from the whipped cream spray, the taste, when enjoyed warm, is simply heavenly. n

The writer Instagrams @the_experimentalcook