Cappuccino French Toast with Coffee Cream

The dominoes are falling fast. Three weeks since the Taste Nashville review and Sarah's Table has: thirty-two clients (up from twenty-six), a waiting list for December events (WAITING LIST — I have a WAITING LIST, which means more people want my food than I can currently provide, which is the most terrifying and flattering math I've ever done), and a decision to make.

The decision: two Sundays. Not one. TWO Sundays in the kitchen. Saturday prep, Sunday cook, Monday deliveries. The business needs more time. The business is outgrowing its one-day-a-week container. The Sunday model was the training wheels. The training wheels are coming off. But two days means: less time with the kids. Less time at home. More time in the Madison kitchen. More money (significantly), but more absence. The tradeoff. The working-mother tradeoff that every woman in America negotiates every week and that I've been negotiating since Chloe was a baby and I went to dental hygiene school and every night was a choice between studying and holding my daughter and the choice was: both. Always both. You choose both and you do both badly and the badly is still better than not doing them at all.

I talked to Mama. Kitchen table. Coffee. Overhead light. "Mama, I'm thinking about going to two days." She said: "The kids will be fine. You raised them right. Chloe can hold the house. The question isn't can you do two days. The question is: why are you still doing one?" Why am I still doing one. The Lorraine Mitchell question that cuts through every excuse and every fear and arrives at the truth: the fear isn't about the kids. The fear is about ME. The fear is about deserving it. The fear is about whether Sarah Mitchell from Antioch, Waffle House, Hamburger Helper — whether THAT Sarah — deserves a business that outgrows a Sunday. Mama looked at me and said: "You deserve it. The food says so. Now stop being scared and go cook." Stop being scared and go cook. The Mitchell motivational speech. Five words. Maximum Lorraine.

I went to two Sundays starting in November. Saturday prep, Sunday cook. Wanda on both days. Patricia on Sundays. The team is three women. The kitchen runs 5 AM to 5 PM. The output: thirty-plus orders. The revenue: on track for $5,000/month. The dental salary: $3,200/month. Sarah's Table is now earning more than the dental office. The side hustle has outearned the career. The brave thing has outperformed the safe thing. The napkin has outgrown the degree.

Every big decision in my family gets made at a kitchen table over coffee — and this recipe is my love letter to that. When Mama told me to stop being scared and go cook, we were sitting with mugs in our hands and an overhead light humming above us, and I knew the moment I left her house I was going to make something that tasted exactly like that feeling: warm, a little indulgent, stronger than it looks. Cappuccino French Toast is the dish I put on the Sarah’s Table November menu the week I went to two Sundays — because if you’re going to start cooking at 5 AM, you might as well make something that earns it.

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes | Servings: 4

Ingredients

8 thick slices brioche or challah bread (about 1-inch thick)
3 large eggs
1/2 cup whole milk
1/4 cup strong brewed espresso or very strong coffee, cooled
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
Powdered sugar and cocoa powder, for dusting
For the Coffee Cream:
1 cup heavy whipping cream, cold
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
2 tablespoons strong brewed espresso or very strong coffee, cooled
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions

Make the coffee cream. In a cold mixing bowl, combine the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, cooled espresso, and vanilla extract. Beat with a hand mixer on medium-high speed until soft, billowy peaks form, about 3—4 minutes. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Prepare the custard. In a wide, shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, cooled espresso, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and nutmeg until fully combined and smooth.
Soak the bread. Working in batches, lay the bread slices in the custard and let soak for 30—45 seconds per side, pressing gently so the bread absorbs the mixture without falling apart.
Cook the french toast. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet or griddle over medium heat. Add the soaked bread slices in a single layer without crowding. Cook 3—4 minutes per side until deeply golden brown and cooked through. Add the remaining tablespoon of butter for the second batch.
Plate and finish. Transfer the french toast to plates. Top each serving with a generous dollop of the chilled coffee cream. Dust lightly with powdered sugar and a pinch of cocoa powder. Serve immediately.

Nutrition (per serving)

Cappuccino French Toast with Coffee Cream — The Kitchen Table Where Mama Said Go Cook