Rosemary pain perdu with sautéed apples, Chantilly cream and Armagnac caramel sauce

Total time: 45 minutes

Servings: 4

Note: Reserve extra caramel sauce and Chantilly cream for another use.

4 egg yolks

2 cups heavy cream, divided (keep 1 cup very cold)

1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla, divided

Kosher salt

4 slices day-old rosemary bread, cut into slices about 3/4-inch thick and into rounds about 3 1/2 inches wide

1 teaspoon powdered sugar

2 tablespoons ( 1/4 stick) butter, divided

1 large apple, peeled, cored and sliced about 1/4-inch wide (use a tart, firm apple such as Granny Smith, Arkansas Black, Fuji, etc.)

2 tablespoons sugar

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1 cup Armagnac caramel sauce, warmed if necessary (See basic caramel sauce and variations)

Fresh rosemary leaves for garnish

1. In a wide bowl, whisk together the yolks, 1 cup of heavy cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla and a pinch of kosher salt. Place bread rounds into the custard, coating the slices. Let stand 30 minutes, turning over occasionally.

2. Meanwhile, make the Chantilly cream. In a standing mixer or with a whisk in a large bowl, whip the remaining cream (make sure it is cold), the remaining one-fourth teaspoon vanilla and powdered sugar until soft peaks form. Refrigerate until needed.

3. In a large sauté pan, melt 1 tablespoon of butter over medium-high heat. When it foams up in a few minutes, add the apples, sugar, lemon juice and a pinch of kosher salt. Stir to coat the apples and cook until the apples are soft and beginning to caramelize, about 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and reserve, keeping warm.

4. In a clean, large sauté pan, melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter over medium-high heat. Wipe any excess custard from the rosemary bread and cook until golden on both sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side. You can do all rounds at once or cook them in batches, depending on the size of your sauté pan. Remove and blot on a paper towel.

5. Place one round of pain perdu on a plate, arrange one-fourth of the sautéed apples on top of the round, then add about a tablespoon of Chantilly cream on top. Spoon a tablespoon of caramel sauce around the pain perdu and sprinkle with rosemary leaves. Repeat for the other plates and serve immediately.

Each serving: 402 calories; 5 grams protein; 39 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams fiber; 25 grams fat; 13 grams saturated fat; 346 mg. cholesterol; 192 mg. sodium.