We've recreated Ian's mac and cheese pizza, Paul's Pel'meni, and classic curds 'n' ranch. Today, we're focusing on the most important meal of the day and recreating the French toast from Mickie's Dairy Bar.

A brief history

Mickie's Dairy Bar has been a staple for hungover Madisonians since 1946. The original owners, Norm Bass and Van Reese, sold the business to Janet and Payow Thongnuam in 1991 under the agreement that the Thongnuams would maintain the menu, charm, and history of the iconic Monroe Street diner to the best of their ability.

While Mickie's is best known for The Scrambler — a glorious pile of eggs, meat, hash browns, and other breakfasty toppings of your choosing — we're opting to emulate the sweeter side of the menu.

Mickie's French toast is not your average French toast, because it's not really "toast" at all. Instead of bread, the dish is made with cinnamon rolls which are halved and battered before being grilled like traditional French toast.

Ingredients

Cinnamon roll tube
2 large eggs
1/3 cup milk
4 tbsp flour
4 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla
Pinch of salt

Instructions

Preheat oven according to instructions on the cinnamon roll packaging
Flatten 4 cinnamon rolls onto the bottom of a baking dish (we used a glass 9x9 inch pan)
Bake for the minimum time listed on the cinnamon roll packaging
Mix the remaining ingredients in a bowl until the batter is smooth, set aside
Remove rolls from oven and let cool on a cutting board, flatten further with a rolling pin or the bottom of a glass
Warm up a griddle or large skillet on medium heat
Dip each rolled-out roll into your batter, letting the excess drip off into the bowl, before placing on the hot skillet
Cook for 3-5 minutes on each side
Enjoy with icing or your favorite French toast toppings