SERVES 6

An elegant "French toast," this recipe makes a lovely dessert, especially when paired with Lavender Honey Ice Cream.

8 dried apricots
6 oz. unsalted butter
4 pears, peeled, cored, quartered
1 lemon, zested and halved
1⁄4 cup plus 3 tbsp. sugar
2 eggs
1⁄2 cup milk
1 tbsp. orange blossom water
6 thick slices brioche

1. Soften apricots in boiling water. Melt 2 oz. of the butter, then add apricots, 2 of the quartered pears, juice of 1⁄2 lemon and 1 tbsp. of the sugar. Cook for 15 minutes until the fruit is tender and golden around the edges. Remove from heat.

2. Cook remaining 2 pears, lemon zest, juice of  remaining 1⁄2 lemon, 1⁄4 cup of the sugar, and 1⁄2 cup water for 20 minutes or until tender. Purée with poaching liquid and thin to a sauce.

3. Beat eggs with remaining 2 tbsp. of the sugar, milk, and orange blossom water. Use a large biscuit cutter to cut bread into rounds, or remove crusts and trim slice to squares. Melt remaining 4 oz. butter in a large sauté pan. Dip bread into egg–milk mixture, then brown until golden on both sides.

4. Arrange one brioche perdu on each plate, add pears and apricots, and a spoonful of pear sauce. Serve with lavender honey ice cream.