Sugar-Crusted French Toast with Honeyed Apples

Ingredients

• 3 cups water
• ½ cup honey
• ¹/₃ cup sugar
• 4 3x½-inch strips orange peel
• 4 3x½-inch strips lemon peel
• 2 whole star anise*
• 1 cinnamon stick
• + 10 more ingredients
• • ½ vanilla bean, split lengthwise
  • 3 medium apples (such as Braeburn or Golden Delicious), peeled, halved, cored
  • 6 large eggs
  • 3 large egg yolks
  • 3½ cups whole milk
  • ²/₃ cup plus 8 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 6 4x4x1-inch slices egg bread
  • 6 tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter

1. For poached apples: Combine first 7 ingredients in heavy large saucepan. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean. Bring to boil over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 5 minutes. Add apples; cover and simmer until tender, about 12 minutes. Usin...

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