Growing up, I always enjoyed making my mom “breakfast in bed” on Mother’s Day, except that she had usually already been up for hours by the time I was ready to serve her. So, I would send her back upstairs, and then present her with a tray of breakfast goodies. Frequent fliers included a big glass of orange juice, freshly fried bacon, and of course, my favorite thing to make, stuffed french toast! At the time this delicious recipe consisted of white bread, strawberry jelly, cream cheese, eggs, and milk, but today I have found some new ingredients and techniques that have taken it from great to incredible!
To me, a great french toast starts with a great bread, my favorite is challah bread! I like to buy a whole loaf, rather than a pre-sliced one, so that I can choose how thick the slices are. For normal french toast I would usually aim for slices about an inch thick, but when I stuff it each piece will end up using two slices of bread so I will back down to about half an inch. Next, comes the filling, I love to get creative with different combinations of jams or fruits and our Hillacres Pride cheese spreads. With strawberries currently in season I will be reaching for our Strawberry Delite cheese spread, but during other times of year I also enjoy Honey, Citrus Sunrise, and our Holiday spread. While our Strawberry Delite spread is deliciously flavorful on its own, I love to pair it with a local strawberry rhubarb jam for a hint of tartness. To stuff the french toast I will take a slice of the challah bread and spread a generous layer of the cheese spread on one side, followed by a slightly thinner layer of my jam. Then, all you have to do is add the other slice of bread on top and voila, your toast is stuffed. The first few times I made this recipe I was skeptical that the slices would stay together through the coating process, however I have never had an issue!
Once the toast is stuffed it is time to make the custard. I love using our Hillacres Pride eggs as the rich yolks provide a perfectly luscious texture to the french toast. Along with the eggs, I include whole milk or cream if I have it, cinnamon and vanilla. When available I really enjoy using vanilla bean paste over vanilla extract as it provides a more intense vanilla flavor to the custard. When mixing the custard it is very important to make sure you stir long enough for it to become homogenous as it allows for easier coating and a more consistent final product. Dipping the french toast can involve some trial and error as the thickness of your bread affects how long it should remain in the custard in order to become fully saturated but not too soggy. I will usually put my stuffed bread into the egg mixture and flip it to make sure both sides and the edges are fully coated before allowing it to rest for another 15-20 seconds on each side. If you are unsure of whether or not your bread is properly saturated it can be good to cook a test piece and cut it open before continuing in your process. This method works well for me as I prefer to coat each slice immediately before cooking rather than all at once, it also allows for the opportunity to have a “chef snack” as I like to call it, one of the most important parts of cooking.
I cook my stuffed french toast in butter which I melt in a skillet. I will often add a small pat between each piece to ensure that the pan is properly coated. I will generally use salted butter as I feel that it provides a nice balance to whatever sweet topping I select, however unsalted butter also works great! Once each piece is cooked I place it on a plate or baking sheet in my oven set to the lowest possible temperature . This will keep the french toast warm without continuing to cook it. After cooking the only thing left to do is top your stuffed french toast and enjoy the fruits of your labor. The possibilities for toppings are endless, some of my favorites include butter and cinnamon sugar, maple syrup, and whipped cream and fresh fruit. But, I have also enjoyed powdered sugar, nutella, honey, and a variety of fruit compotes. Whatever combination of fillings and toppings you chose, your french toast is sure to turn out delicious!
Recipe
Makes 2 servings, but can easily be scaled for any sized crowd!
Ingredients:
- 4 half inch slices of challah bread
- 4 TBSP Hillacres Pride Cheese Spread of your choice
- 3 TBSP jam of your choice
- 2 Hillacres Pride Farm Fresh Eggs
- ¼ cup whole milk or cream
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- 3 TBSP butter
Instructions:
- Spread 2 TBSP of cheese spread and 1.5 TBSP of jam onto two slices of bread, leaving a small (~½ cm) gap around the edges
- Place the remaining two slices of challah onto the slathered slices
- Beat together the eggs, milk, vanilla, and cinnamon until the mixture is completely homogenous
- Melt 2 TBSP of butter into a skillet over medium heat
- Meanwhile dip a piece of the your stuffed bread into the custard and flip to fully coat both sides and all edges, before allowing it to sit in the mixture for about 15-20 seconds on each side
- Place the dipped piece into the hot skillet and cook for about 3 minutes per side or until golden brown
- Remove the piece from the pan and place on a plate or sheet pan in the oven on the lowest setting to keep warm
- Add the remaining 1 TBSP of butter into the pan and allow to melt before repeating steps 5 and 6 for your second piece
- Finish your stuffed french toast with the toppings of your choice and enjoy!
