Strawberry Stuffed French Toast

To me, there is just something very special about a well prepared breakfast on a weekend morning.  It's a time to relax with your loved ones as you contemplate the day or weekend ahead.  There is just something very comforting about it, and the food selection is almost "girly", which I absolutely love.  Perhaps I make brunch an opportunity for my version of tea time.  Who knows, I just love it!  What can I say? :)

What I love most about this recipe is that the french toast doesn't become soggy or eggy, but rather stays nice and crisp.  It's so delicious and passes my test - "would I pay for this?" - Oh heck yes! :)   Enjoy!

Strawberry Stuffed French Toast


For the filling:
1 cup sliced fresh strawberries
2 tbsp. sugar
4 oz. cream cheese, softened

For the toast:
4 thick slices bread (to 'butterfly'), or 6 slices soft Italian bread (to 'sandwich')
1 large egg
¾ cup milk
2 tbsp. melted butter
1 tsp. vanilla
¼ cup all-purpose flour
¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. salt
Unsalted butter

Maple syrup, powdered sugar and additional fresh strawberries for serving

Directions:
To make the filling, combine the sliced strawberries and sugar in a medium bowl. Mix well and set aside to macerate for about 15 minutes. Stir in the cream cheese until well blended.

To prepare the toast, carefully slice a pocket into the center of each slice of bread, taking care not to cut all the way through to the other side. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. In a shallow baking dish or pie plate, whisk together the egg and milk. Whisk in the melted butter and vanilla. Stir in the flour, cinnamon and salt and whisk until smooth. Fill the pocket of each slice of bread with some of the filling mixture. One or two at a time, place the filled slices of bread in the egg mixture, soaking about 30-40 seconds per side. Remove the bread and allow the excess batter to drip off. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining bread slices.

Add 1 tablespoon of butter to the heated skillet and swirl to coat. Add the filled slices of toast to the skillet in a single layer. Cook until light golden brown and crisp, about 1-2 minutes per side. Repeat with the remaining slices of bread, adding more butter to the skillet as needed. Serve immediately with maple syrup, powdered sugar and fresh strawberries as desired.

Source:  Annie's Eats