NST kitchen · breakfast
Chocolate and hazelnut French toast
Pan-fried brioche with a chocolate-hazelnut topping, chopped toasted hazelnuts and fresh strawberries. Cook the toast first, then add the chocolate so it does not scorch in the pan.
- vegetarian
- Prep (est.)
- 10 min
- Cook (est.)
- 12 min
- Total (est.)
- 22 min
- Base servings
- 2
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Ingredients
One fixed batch makes 2 servings. Keep the listed quantities, pan and method unchanged. For more, repeat the full batch; for fewer, follow the recipe's storage guidance for unused portions.
Ingredients for 2 servings.
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You will need
- Kitchen scales and measuring jug
- 24 cm non-stick frying pan
- Shallow bowl, whisk, spatula, knife and board
- Clean food thermometer and serving plates
Let's make it
The method
0 of 5 steps marked
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Step 1. Prepare the toppings
Wash, trim and slice the strawberries. Chop the ready-to-eat toasted hazelnuts. Keep both separate from the raw-egg bowl and utensils.
Step 2. Dip the bread
Beat the eggs and milk in a shallow bowl. Dip two brioche slices for about 15–20 seconds on each side, coating them without leaving them to disintegrate. Do not taste the egg mixture.
Step 3. Cook the first slices
Melt half the butter in the frying pan over a medium-low heat. Add the dipped bread and cook for about 3 minutes on each side. Check the egg-soaked centres reach 75°C for at least 30 seconds with a clean thermometer. Lower the heat and cook longer if the bread browns before the middle is done.
Step 4. Repeat
Move the cooked toast to a clean plate. Dip the remaining bread and cook it in the rest of the butter, using the same centre check. Discard any uncooked dipping mixture and wash the bowl and utensils.
Step 5. Add the chocolate
Divide the toast between two plates. Spread the chocolate-hazelnut topping over the warm slices and add the hazelnuts and strawberries. Serve promptly.
Make it work for you
Swaps & variations
- Use the same weight and thickness of ready-to-eat white bloomer instead of brioche; the texture will differ.
- Use raspberries in place of strawberries at the same prepared weight.
- A different chocolate spread changes the allergens. Removing the hazelnut garnish does not remove hazelnuts from a chocolate-hazelnut spread.
Recipe notes & sources
Sources support the points stated below; they are not evidence that NST has cooked or tested this recipe.
- FSA: cooking your food
Thorough cooking, temperature-time checks and reheating once; not validation of the proposed timings or formula.
Checked 2026-10-23 - FSA: chilling, freezing and defrosting food safely
Domestic refrigeration, prompt cooling and leftover limits; not a shelf-life or recipe test.
Checked 2026-10-23 - FSA: food allergy and intolerance advice
Ingredient labels, regulated allergens and cross-contact; no specific product or allergy-safe clearance.
Checked 2026-10-23 - FSA: home food fact checker
Washing produce, avoiding mouldy food and egg handling; no measured yield, taste or dish endorsement.
Checked 2026-10-23
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