Pumpkin Spice French Toast Poppers

For all the Starbucks pumpkin spice lovers, here’s a crispy French toast bite you’ll love. Buttery Hawaiian rolls soaked in a creamy pumpkin custard, coated in a layer of crispy panko, fried, and rolled in pumpkin spice sugar… does this appease your craving yet? A custard-soaked French toast is obviously a great thing, but it’s always missing a little crunch, which I adore in waffles. With that in mind, I decided to incorporate a crunchy layer by blending panko into fine crumbs and pressing them all around the soaked bread cubes. After a shallow fry and coating in spiced sugar, these bites take a dip into pumpkin-enhanced condensed milk to reinforce the essence of autumn. Here are some tips on how to make these.

• Frying: Typically French toast is pan-seared in a layer of sizzling butter. I decided to incorporate a shallow fry to these cube-like bites to ensure crispness all the way around. They may even remind you of a French toast donut.
• Soaking the rolls: Hawaiian rolls are pretty tall. The rolls won’t soak completely unless you leave them in the mixture for a while, which could also risk them getting too soggy or not getting cooked all the way through. It’s okay to just soak them briefly.
• Control the heat: As soon as you add the bites to the oil, the temperature is going to drop. Using a thermometer throughout the process will help gauge temperature fluctuations. You also want to make sure the soaked egg layer is cooking along with the outer layer.
• Pumpkin spice: If you don’t have all of the spices to make your own pumpkin spice, then a pre-made pumpkin spice blend will work.

Storage:
These are best eaten once slightly cooled and coated in spiced sugar; otherwise, they can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 days.

Made this? Let me know in the comments below!