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Stuffed French Toast

Source of Recipe

From "The King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion"


Recipe Introduction

Stuffed French toast — a "casserole" made from layers of bread, cream cheese, and strawberry jam, moistened with egg and milk, and baked to soft yet crisp perfection — is a breakfast everyone clamors for. You can fill the French toast and make up the custard in advance, then dip and bake when you're ready to go. Spread the filling on the slice of bread about ¼ inch thick; then top with the second slice of bread. Wrap and keep in the refrigerator until you're ready to bake.

List of Ingredients

Bread:
â—¦ Twelve ½-inch thick slices white sandwich bread (or the bread of your choice)

Filling:
â—¦ 4 ounces (½ cup) cream cheese, softened
â—¦ 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar
â—¦ ½ cup strawberry jam, or the jam or preserve of your choice
â—¦ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
â—¦ ¼ teaspoon cinnamon


Custard:
â—¦ 8 large eggs
â—¦ 3 cups milk
â—¦ ¼ cup sugar
â—¦ ¾ teaspoon salt
â—¦ 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
â—¦ Freshly grate nutmeg, for topping


Recipe

First, select the pan you want to use, one that best fits the size of your bread slices. (We like to use a 9 x 13-inch pan, and cut some of the slices as needed to fit the pan.) The point is to try to leave the bread as intact as possible, as lifting out and serving whole pieces is nicer than dealing with smaller pieces. Lightly grease the pan, preferably with butter.

In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese until soft, then blend in the remaining filling ingredients. Spread six slices of bread with the filling, top them with the remaining six slices, and lay these "sandwiches" in the pan, cutting to fit as necessary.

In a medium bowl, blend together the custard ingredients and pour the mixture over the bread in the pan. Let it sit for 30 minutes total, so the bread can soak up the custard.

Preheat the oven to 350° F.

Sprinkle freshly grated nutmeg atop the French toast and bake it for about 20 minutes. Turn over the pieces and bake it for about 20 minutes. Turn over the pieces and bake for another 20 minutes, until the bread is puffy and lightly browned. Transfer the French toast to individual plates and serve it warm, with maple syrup, if you like.



Makes 12 slices