I’ve spent nearly a year on this blog praising my family’s cooking influences. Now it’s time to blame my mother for one of my cooking errors. (She knew it was coming one of these days.)
I first made stuffed French toast about two and a half years ago. I’d seen recipes, but I never actually watched the technique of how to stuff it, or had it myself. The directions called for French bread, cut into 1 1/2 inch slices. Specific instructions read “cut a pocket in the top of each.”
Cut a pocket. That’s where the wording threw me. My mind automatically flashed back to sandwiches my mother used to make. After enough complaints about them being served with a bite taken out, she got more creative and our sandwiches had a small square cut out of the center. A “pocket” almost.
So the first time I made this recipe, I decided that a “pocket” meant that I should cut a square in the middle of the bread and take that square out. I wasn’t sure how to stuff and then keep the filling in, so I’d try to cut three-quarters of the way through the bread, stuff it with the filling, and put the little square of bread back on top before cooking. I only wish I’d taken a picture, because apparently that’s not how it’s done.
If you’ve never made stuffed French toast, the idea is to stand the bread on end again, slice it three-quarters of the way to the bottom, and spoon the filling in there. The stuffing comes out the top, not the sides.
If you’re so inspired, here’s the recipe I am made for this Saturday night. It’s not hard once you’ve figured out how to stuff it!
STUFFED FRENCH TOAST
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. chopped nuts
1 (16 oz.) loaf sweet French bread
4 eggs
1 c. whipping cream
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 (12 oz.) jar apricot preserves (1 1/2 c.)
1/2 c. orange juice
Beat together the cream cheese and 1 teaspoon vanilla until fluffy. Stir in nuts, set aside. Cut bread into 10-12, 1 1/2 inch slices; cut a pocket in the top of each. Fill each with 1 1/2 tablespoons of the cheese mixture.
Beat together eggs, whipping cream, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and nutmeg. using tongs, dip the filled bread slices in egg mixture, being careful not to squeeze out the filling. Cook on a lightly greased griddle until both sides are golden brown. To keep cooked slices hot for serving, place them on a baking sheet in a warm oven.
Meanwhile, heat together the preserves and juice. To serve, drizzle the apricot mixture over hot French toast. Makes 10 to 12 stuffed slices.
