Can french toast be cooked with oil? Unsalted butter?
I'm going to make french toast on Mother's Day with Alton Brown's recipe, but it calls for butter, but I'm not sure if I can use unsalted. I'm planning on buying unsalted butter to make some black sesame dumplings, and I don't want to buy regular butter since my family hardly ever uses butter.
Here's the recipe:

Ingredients

* 1 cup half-and-half
* 3 large eggs
* 2 tablespoons honey, warmed in microwave for 20 seconds
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 8 (1/2-inch) slices day-old or stale country loaf, brioche or challah bread
* 4 tablespoons butter

Directions

In medium size mixing bowl, whisk together the half-and-half, eggs, honey, and salt. You may do this the night before. When ready to cook, pour custard mixture into a pie pan and set aside.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Dip bread into mixture, allow to soak for 30 seconds on each side, and then remove to a cooling rack that is sitting in a sheet pan, and allow to sit for 1 to 2 minutes.

Over medium-low heat, melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a 10-inch nonstick saute pan. Place 2 slices of bread at a time into the pan and cook until golden brown, approximately 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove from pan and place on rack in oven for 5 minutes. Repeat with all 8 slices. Serve immediately with maple syrup, whipped cream or fruit.

Credits: Alton Brown

You can use non stick cooking spray on the pan. It will replace the butter

I have Pam! But it's not butter flavored. Does it need to be butter flavored?

You can use either a light oil (canola, extra-light olive, vegetable) or unsalted butter.

My only question about this recipe is, where is the vanilla and cinnamon???

Thanks!
I don't think its necessary because it has the honey but I'm not entirely sure. One could always add some if they wanted to though (:

It doesn't have to be butter flavored. It is just so it won't stick to the pan.

Yes, warmvanillasugar1234, you can use unsalted butter. Since it is a sweet french toast recipe, and not a savory one, you don't need the added salt (in salted butter) anyway.

You'd be surprised at how many recipes you can cut out unnecessary amounts of added salt and still enjoy them. (I know this from cooking/baking for people w/ heart problems)

HTH