Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Strawberry Stuffed French Toast

Ingredients

sft

    Filling:

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened and more for cooking the french toast

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 1/2 Tablespoons strawberry preserves or jam

1 cup diced strawberries

4 thick slices challah, French, or Italian bread

Powdered sugar, for dusting

    Egg Batter:

6 extra-large eggs

1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

2 Tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup whole milk

Breading:

1 1/2 cups crushed Cornflakes

1 cup sliced almonds (optional)

 

Instructions

 

In a medium bowl, combine the 2 tablespoons of butter and the cream cheese until combined.

sft1 

Add the strawberry preserves and mix until incorporated. Fold in the diced strawberries into the cream cheese mixture.

sft3sft5

Cut bread into thick slices.

sft2

Make an incision on the crust side of the 4 pieces of bread about 3/4 of the way through. You're creating a pocket to stuff the cream cheese mixture into.

 sft4

Gently spoon 1/4 of the cream cheese mixture into each of the 4 slices of bread

sft6

and gently close the pocket.

sft7

Refrigerate the stuffed slices while you prepare the batter and breading.

For the egg batter, add the eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar, vanilla, and milk to a medium shallow bowl and mix well. Set aside.

sft8

Prepare the breading by adding the crushed cornflakes and almonds to a sheet pan.

sft10

Dip the bread slices in the egg batter making sure to let each side soak for about 20 seconds. Next, dip them into the cereal mixture.

 sft9sft11

Put a large skillet on medium-high heat and add a couple of tablespoons of butter. When the butter has melted add the stuffed bread slices and brown on each side for 2-3 minutes.

stuffedfrenchtoast1

Remove from skillet and serve immediately. Top with a sprinkle of powdered sugar, fresh sliced strawberries, and syrup if desired. The french toast is pretty sweet on it's own so the toppings are more for visual appeal. Or if you just feel like being a little sweeter

stuffedfrenchtoast