Juice your citrus until you have ½ cup of fresh juice. (I used blood oranges because they’re in season, I had them on hand. Orange juice and mandarin juice would work just as well though, so use what you have or can get.)

Pour the juice into a small saucepan. Taste the juice and add 2 tablespoons granulated sugar if it’s tart, and 1 tablespoon sugar if the juice is sweet. Add the cinnamon and stir over high heat until the liquid starts to boil.

Let the juice simmer for 5 minutes as you peel, segment the mandarins, and remove as much of the pith as possible (the pith makes the compote bitter). Lower the heat to medium and add the mandarin segments to the juice and stir to coat. Cook for another 5-7 minutes or until the mandarin segments start to collapse but keep their shape.

Pour the mandarin compote and any juices (the syrup will thicken even more once cooled) into a small serving bowl and set aside to cool until ready to serve.

Crumble the ricotta into the bowl of a food processor*, then add the honey and cinnamon. Process until creamy and smooth, about 1 minute.

Transfer to a small serving dish, adding an extra drizzle of honey over the top, if you like. Set aside at room temperature while you make the French toast. Or store it in the fridge if you make it in advance, but make sure to bring it back to room temperature before serving.

In a wide bowl, vigorously whisk together the eggs, cinnamon and vanilla paste (or essence). Add in the milk and whisk again until combined.

Melt some butter in a frying pan over medium heat. When melted and starting to bubble, dip 1 slice of bread into the egg mixture, flipping the bread and coating both sides. Place the bread in the pan and repeat with a second piece of dipped bread - don’t overcrowd the pan!

Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the eggy mixture is set and the bread is a light golden brown. Flip the bread and cook for another 2-3 minutes on the other side. Transfer the cooked French toast to a serving plate and repeat, using the rest of the bread and egg mixture.

To serve, place two pieces of French toast onto a plate, add a scoop of whipped ricotta, and spoon over some mandarin compote and enjoy!