Look, my sweet tooth is as deeply ingrained as anyone's, but requiring powdered sugar and maple syrup with your butter on your FT ~ well, that's a bit much.

A light sprinkle of confectioner's over a few golden-brown slices of pain perdu is an affectation I can accept in a restaurant context, as a matter of visdual "presentation" like a sprig of parsley on a steak, but I still always want to moisten things up with some butter and a solid slug of syrup.

At home, butter and syrup are plenty enough for me. Top-quality maple is the best syrup, of course, but it's a bit pricey for us keep on hand at all times. For everyday use, we can live with the less-expensive local Steens' Cane Syrup, enjoy it for its thick texture and unique flavor, and celebrate its homey, local, native origin.