Serves 6
Cooking Time Prep time 30 mins, cook 40 mins (plus cooling, standing)

50 gm	almonds
50 gm	caster sugar
180 ml	pouring cream
120 gm each	dark chocolate (56% cocoa solids) and milk chocolate, coarsely chopped
12	thick slices brioche
3	bananas, thinly sliced
4	eggs
100 ml	milk
100 gm	butter, coarsely chopped
Salted caramel
200 gm	caster sugar
60 gm	butter, coarsely chopped
125 ml (½ cup)	pouring cream

1	Preheat oven to 180C. Roast almonds on an oven tray, shaking occasionally, until browned. Transfer to an oiled oven tray and set aside. Stir sugar and 60ml water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves, bring to the boil and cook until dark caramel (3-4 minutes). Pour over almonds and stand until set, then process in a food processor to a fine powder.
2	Bring cream to the boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat, add chocolate, remove from heat, then whisk until smooth and combined. Stir in almond mixture, transfer to a container and refrigerate until firm.
3	For salted caramel, stir sugar and 60ml water in a saucepan over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves, bring to the boil and cook until caramel (6-8 minutes). Add butter (be careful as hot caramel will spit) and whisk to combine. Add cream (be careful as mixture will foam and rise) and 1 tsp sea salt (or to taste) and whisk to combine. Keep warm.
4	Spread half the brioche slices thickly with chocolate mixture, then top with sliced banana. Sandwich with remaining brioche slices and set aside.
5	Preheat oven to 180C. Whisk eggs and milk in a bowl to combine, then transfer to a tray. Stand sandwiches in egg mixture, turning once, until soaked (2 minutes), then shake off excess.
6	Heat half the butter in a large frying pan over medium heat until foaming, add half the sandwiches and cook, turning once, until golden (2-3 minutes each side). Transfer to an oven tray, wipe out pan and repeat with remaining butter and sandwiches, then warm sandwiches in oven for 5 minutes. Serve hot, drizzled with warm salted caramel.

Note French toast is usually thought of as a breakfast or brunch dish, but the all-out indulgence of this version makes it suitable as a dessert too – or for any time of the day, really.

This recipe is from the August 2012 issue of Australian Gourmet Traveller.

Drink Suggestion Rich, sweet Hungarian Tokaji.