Russian French Toast (Grenki)

Mumma always said sharing is caring.

I first time I feel in love with Russian cuisine was back when I lived in Melbourne and went to a bar called After the Tears with a homeless man (read about it in my Pelmeni recipe).

The second time was when I was living in Vietnam and went to a Russian restaurant called CCCP. Sounds weird to be going to a Russian restaurant in Vietnam but this place was legit. The first thing you were asked when you walked through the door was ” do you speak russian?” and the food was heavenly. We went at least twice a week for a few months. And it was so so cheap, and now I’m having withdrawals wishing I was there.

This was the first time I tried cottage cheese in dessert as well and loved it! The tangy flavour contrasting the sweet. Absolutely delicious!

When I found myself with some leftover cottage cheese, cherries and old rye bread this week I had a flash back to russian and an idea to make Russian French Toast. I had no Idea if this was a real thing or not so after a quick google search I found out it is and it’s called Grenki. My recipe isn’t at all traditional so please don’t eat me alive in the comments.

Instead this is a mix of what memories I have of Russian food, and techniques and flavours I’ve learnt over the years from experiences. I also didn’t just want to call it French Toast because it’s more than that and the only thing that fits it’s Russian French Toast so please enjoy my no traditional Russian French Toast because I know I sure did!

Let’s break this french toast down:

I used rye sourdough as the bread. This wasn’t a very dark sourdough, you don’t want something is to dark and heavy so it doesn’t over power everything else. Normal sourdough or brioche would also work

The bread is dipped into a sweetened egg and milk mixture just like normal french toast. Where this russian french toast differs is the toppings.

Watch the video for Russian French Toast here:

On top is whipped cottage cheese that’s slightly sweetened with vanilla extract. Have you ever had whipped cottage cheese? It’s life changing! It takes lumpy cottage cheese and turns it into this smooth creamy airy and slightly tangy spread. Kinda like cream cheese and yogurt had a baby.

Add some sweet and tart cherries on top that have been cooked in a little maple syrup and balsamic vinegar (so good makes them slightly tart, but also not 100% necessary), drizzle over extra maple syrup because french toast+maple syrup = 💖.
What you get is a sinful tasting breakfast (or dessert, or lunch or snack) that is actually real good for you and will keep you full for hours!

The hardest part about this recipe is pitting the cherries, it’s honestly a pain but so worth it! To make it easier you can use a cherry pitter.

#tillyeats or TAG ME ON INSTAGRAM @TILLYEATS IF YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE, I LOVE SEEING YOUR CREATIONS!

Also if you could rate the recipe below I would be forever grateful – it makes me feel good ( yay internet points) and also helps me understand what you guys like 😛

OTHER RUSSIAN RECIPES:

• Borsch – Soup made from beets, potatoes, beans, carrots and onions. Flavoured with dill, garlic and vinegar. 
• Russian Pelmeni – pork dumplings flavoured with dill and cooked in an egg dough. Served best with vinegar and sour cream.
• Stuffed Cabbage Rolls – Pork, Rice and Vegetables wrapped in cabbage leaves cooked in a rich tomato and vegetable sauce.

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NOTE: All images and text on this website are protected by copyright. Please do not post or republish this recipe/images without permission from me -Tilly. If you want to share this recipe, please share the link rather than the whole recipe. Thank you so much! 🙂

Mumma always said sharing is caring.