Making traditional French Toast is a fairly straightforward affair. All you need on hand are a few eggs, some milk, cinnamon and, of course, bread. For our French Toast we somewhat ironically like to use Texas-style toast. Or at least a loaf of bread we've cut ourselves. The key is to use thick slices. Regular sandwich bread is too thin and doesn't soak up enough of the egg/milk mixture. So depending on what's available, Texas-style toast or a loaf of bread is what we use.
Now there is nothing wrong with classic syrup and butter French Toast, but if you want to make it a little extra special we highly recommend this mascarpone cheese and macerated strawberries combination.
For those who haven't had mascarpone cheese before, it spreads like cream cheese but tastes the inside of a cannoli. So think sweet and creamy, instead of sharp and tangy. Adding a bit of sugar to sliced strawberries will draw out their juices, transforming them into something similar to a compote. Sweet, soft, and bursting with summertime flavor. Layer these with your French Toast and you've got a lot to look forward to in the morning.
Video: Strawberry Stuffed French Toast
Strawberry Stuffed French Toast
Makes 4 servings (25 minutes of preparation)
Ingredients
- 1 pound strawberries
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 12 slices Texas toast
- Butter
- Mascarpone cheese
- Maple syrup
Directions
Step 1
Quarter the strawberries and place in a bowl with 2 tablespoons sugar. Stir to coat. Let sit at least 10 minutes, until the berries begin to turn syrupy.
Step 2
In a separate bowl, beat the eggs with the milk, a tablespoon of sugar and cinnamon.
Step 3
In a nonstick pan over medium heat, warm a tablespoon of butter.
Step 4
Dip the bread into the egg/milk mixture, letting the bread absorb the liquid for a few seconds, then flipping and soaking the other side for a few seconds. Lift out of the mixture and let the excess drip off. Place in the pan. Repeat with a second (and third, if your pan allows it) piece of bread.
Step 4
Once the toast is golden on one side (about 3 minutes), flip and cook the other side for an additional 2 minutes or so. Remove and set aside. Heat the second tablespoon of butter and repeat the process until all the toast is cooked.
Step 5
To serve, spread mascarpone cheese over the top of a slice of toast, spoon some of the berries and their syrup on, then repeat with another slice to "stuff" the French toast. Drizzle on some maple syrup.