4 about 1½ - 2 cm thick slices of dryish (at least 1 day old) French bread or brioche bread
1 egg
100 ml milk
powdered cinnamon
powdered cardamom
(dash of vanilla sugar)

In a deep plate, lightly whisk the egg and mix in the milk. Add a dash of cinnamon and cardamom (and vanilla sugar). If you are going to fry more than four slices of bread, slightly increase the amount of milk. Dip the bread slices briefly in the milk-egg mixture on both sides, but do not let them soak and become too soggy.

Using medium heat, fry the slices slowly on both sides in butter until golden brown. When you flip the slices over, add some more butter to the pan. The slices should have a crispy crust and a spongy and firm, not doughy, centre.

Serve the poor knights hot at breakfast or brunch topped with jam and vanilla-flavoured whipped cream or with fresh strawberries or other berries or fruit, drizzled with maple syrup and sprinkled with icing sugar.

When served with jam and whipped cream instead of being served plain, the "poor knights" are called "rich knights" in Finland.

In picture on right: "rich knight" with queen's jam and vanilla-flavoured whipped cream.

Note: if the bread slices you are using are "too fresh" and soft, let them dry either by leaving them uncovered for a few hours or placing them in oven at 90 °C until they feel dry on the surface but are not thoroughly crisp.

Recipe source: adapted from "French toast" by chef Ulrika Bengtsson, SVT/Mitt i maten: "Amerikansk brunch", 2000.