Croissant French Toast with Vanilla-Maple Apples

For the apples:

3 T unsalted butter
3 apples, peeled and sliced
1/2 vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped out and reserved
2 c pure maple syrup

For the French toast:

9 croissants (day-old)
6 large eggs
3 c heavy (whipping) cream
1 shot whiskey
1 t ground cinnamon
4 T unsalted butter

and . . .

3 c whipped cream
Confectioner’s sugar for dusting

Apples

Melt the butter in a large skillet and brown it lightly over high heat. Add the apple slices and the vanilla pod and seeds, and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes; the apples should be lightly colored but not yet com­pletely tender. Add the maple syrup to the pan and sauté for 4 minutes longer, tossing frequently to coat the apples completely. Remove the vanilla pod.

French Toast

Halve the croissants as if you were making sandwiches.

Whisk together the eggs, cream, whiskey, and cinnamon, and pour the mixture into a large shallow pan. Immerse the croissant halves in the liquid and let them soak for a few minutes, then flip them over and soak them for another minute.

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the crois­sants, a few at a time, until golden on both sides, adding more butter as necessary. As they’re cooked, put the croissants in a shallow pan loosely tented with aluminum foil to keep them warm.

To serve

Place two pieces of French toast on each plate. Top with sautéed apples, drizzling warm maple syrup around the plate. Spoon a good dollop of whipped cream over the apples and cover with another piece of French toast. Dust with confec­tioner’s sugar and serve immediately.