A French Toast Bagel That's Tough To Beat

French Toast Bagels are nothing new, you can find them at some bakeries and bagel stores, even at chains like Einstein Bros. To clarify, we're not talking about French Toast made with bagels, but bagels made to taste like French Toast. They're made with cinnamon (or cinnamon sugar), maple syrup and sometimes vanilla. I recently found a particularly good rendition at Bagelman-Deliman in Merrick, Long Island. It's one of the best places for bagels on the South Shore, especially since the nearby Bagel Boss burned down last October (full disclosure, it's my hometown).

According to Boris at Bagelman-Deliman, they put eggs in the dough of their French Toast bagels to give them a lighter, more delicate texture. They're then covered with cinnamon powder and sugar and drizzled with maple syrup, which also forms a sweet chewy ring on the bottom. Conventional cream cheese may not be the best spread for this bagel—the cream and the sweetness just isn't the perfect fit. The folks at Bagelman-Deliman suggest butter, and they're right, it's a winning combination— a chewy dessert roll that's sweet and a little salty. The inside is airy and more like bread than a bagel, bread that would be perfect for making bagel French Toast.