Pumpkin French Toast Sticks with Praline Maple Syrup

My birthday. Thirty-two. The first birthday as someone's mother, which changes the meaning of everything — birthdays are no longer about celebrating yourself but about the absurd miracle that you exist at all, because someone fed you and held you and made sambar for you for thirty-two years straight. Amma's dinner: the usual. Sambar rice, potato roast, pepper rasam. The same meal she's made for my birthday since I was old enough to request it. Consistency. The love that repeats. Appa's card: thirty-two years unbroken. This year's note: "You are a good mother. — Appa." Six words. One more than last year. At this rate, he'll write a full sentence by my fiftieth birthday. Arvind's gift: a framed photo of Anaya wearing the "My uncle is cooler than your uncle" onesie, which she's now outgrown. He had it printed and framed and it's the most sentimental thing Arvind has ever done, and when I pointed this out, he said, "I'm not sentimental. I'm strategic. This photo proves my coolness for the permanent record." Raj's gift: an hour. One hour at a bookstore, alone, without the baby, while he took Anaya to the park. An hour of browsing cookbooks and food writing without a diaper bag or a feeding schedule or anyone asking "Amma?" every four minutes. I bought two cookbooks: Yotam Ottolenghi's "Jerusalem" and Madhur Jaffrey's "Vegetarian India." I held them in the store and felt the specific joy of a reader encountering new food worlds — the Middle Eastern flavors of Ottolenghi, the regional Indian precision of Jaffrey. Two traditions I want to learn. Two more languages for my kitchen. The house: we got it. The offer was accepted. We close in June. A house. Our house. Anaya's house. The kitchen that needs everything and has everything — space, light, potential. I made Amma's sweet pongal to celebrate — the jaggery version, rich with ghee and cashews. Celebration food. New-house food. Birthday food. Thirty-two. A daughter, a house, a blog, a column, a career, a family. Not bad for a woman who measures in handfuls.

I made Amma’s sweet pongal the evening of my birthday — jaggery-dark, fragrant with ghee, scattered with cashews — but the next morning, the first morning of being thirty-two and a homeowner-in-waiting, I wanted something that straddled both worlds: the warmth of a South Indian celebration sweet and the golden-brown comfort of a kitchen that was slowly, joyfully, becoming mine. These pumpkin French toast sticks — crisp outside, custardy within, drowned in a praline maple syrup that crackles with toasted nuts and caramel — are that bridge. The sticky, nutty syrup echoes the cashews and jaggery of the night before, and the whole thing takes less time than it took Raj to load the stroller, which means I had them on the table before Anaya woke up and ruined everything beautifully.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Total Time: 35 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

8 thick slices brioche or Texas toast, cut into thirds lengthwise
3 large eggs
1/2 cup whole milk
1/3 cup pumpkin puree
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, for the pan
Praline Maple Syrup:
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup chopped pecans
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of fine sea salt

Instructions

Make the custard. In a wide, shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, pumpkin puree, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves until smooth and uniform. The batter should be the color of autumn.
Soak the bread. Working in batches, dip the bread sticks into the custard, turning to coat all sides and letting them soak for about 20 seconds per side. They should be saturated but not falling apart.
Cook the sticks. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large nonstick skillet or griddle over medium heat. Cook the soaked sticks in a single layer, turning every 2–3 minutes, until golden-brown and set on all sides, about 8–10 minutes total. Add the remaining butter as needed between batches. Keep finished sticks warm in a 200°F oven on a baking sheet.
Make the praline syrup. While the last batch cooks, combine the maple syrup, pecans, butter, cinnamon, and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir and cook until the butter is melted and the mixture is fragrant and just beginning to bubble at the edges, about 3–4 minutes. Remove from heat; it will thicken slightly as it cools.
Serve. Arrange the pumpkin french toast sticks on a warm platter. Pour the praline maple syrup over the top or serve it alongside for dipping. Dust with powdered sugar if you’re feeling generous, which — on milestone mornings — you should be.

Nutrition (per serving)

Pumpkin French Toast Sticks with Praline Maple Syrup — The Sweet That Tastes Like Arriving