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The following recipe and photography were provided by local blogger Carolyn Hodges of The Dinner Shift.
Show those you care about how much you love them with an extra special spin of classic French toast.
Perfect for holiday breakfasts or any lazy Sunday morning, this strawberries and cream-stuffed French toast recipe only looks like a lot of work. It’s actually quite simple to prepare and is ready in about 30 minutes.
Using Heinen’s bakery challah bread, a fresh strawberry-studded cream cheese filling and a classic egg custard, it’s rich and flavorful without being overly sweet. Feel free to add more sugar to the filling to your taste.
Fresh Strawberries and Cream French Toast
- Cook time:
- 10min
- Prep time:
- 20min
- Total time:
- 30min
- Servings:
- 4
Ingredients
- 4 oz. Heinen’s cream cheese, at room temperature
- 3 Tbsp. sugar, divided
- ½ cup fresh strawberries, finely chopped
- 3 Heinen’s large cage free eggs
- ½ cup Heinen’s whole milk, or non-dairy substitute
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
- 8 ¾-inch thick slices Heinen’s challah bread
- Unsalted butter
- Powdered sugar, for serving
- Sliced strawberries, for serving
- Maple syrup, for serving
Instructions
- In a bowl, stir together the softened cream cheese and 1 Tbsp. of sugar until well combined. Fold in the strawberries and mix until the cream cheese turns pink. Taste and add more sugar if you prefer a sweeter filling.
- In a separate wide shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, remaining 2 Tbsp. of sugar, vanilla extract and cinnamon. Set aside.
- Spread ¼ cup of the cream cheese mixture on one slice of bread. Top it with another slice of bread and press down gently to seal. Repeat with the remaining bread slices. You should have 4 stuffed sandwiches in total.
- Heat 1 Tbsp. of butter in a large heavy skillet over medium-low heat. Working in batches of two, dip the stuffed sandwiches into the egg mixture, being sure to coat both sides (allow them to soak for 10 seconds per side.)
- Carefully transfer the coated sandwiches to the pan and cook for about 4 minutes on each side, or until golden brown and cooked through. Be sure to maintain even, low heat to allow the French toast to cook thoroughly without burning the outside. Repeat with the remaining 2 sandwiches, adding more butter to the pan as needed.
- Serve immediately garnished with powdered sugar and sliced strawberries. Top with maple syrup, if desired.
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