Strawberry Stuffed French Toast.

I kind of have a love/hate relationship with French Toast. You see I love breakfast. I love it the most when you have time to make it delicious and special and I lovelovelove that lots of treat breakfast food is verging on dessert.

So I like the ideeea of French Toast, but whenever I actually have it (which is not often, given the hate part of my feelings) I've always regretted the fact that I had it instead of pancakes or pastries of plain old buttery toast. It's the chewy, eggy layer on the surface of the bread that ruins it for me; far too big a nod to the eggy bread we used to have for tea after primary school which I HATED.

But I want to like it. I want to love it. I want to add it to my treat breakfast repertoire. I want to think, when I've got left over stale bread to use up, "I know, I'll make French Toast, yum". 

So here's what I did to persuade myself that French Toast and I are a match made in heaven; Strawberry Stuffed French Toast. It was indeed very yummy, almost cheesecake crossed with bread and butter pudding. Saying that makes me feel stooopid for still lamenting the lack of pancake involvement in this breakfast...cheesecake and bread and butter pudding...how can that be lamented??

But I did enjoy it and would make it again and if you're not one of those for whom the words eggy bread are wrinkled-up-nose-inducing you will LOVE it. It is rather filling so perfect for brunch on days that you know you'll have a late dinner or need lots of carbs and cals to see you through. I hope you do like it, I'll continue to persevere. With Love and Cake.

Strawberry Stuffed French Toast.

A few notes:

• I think it might help alleviate the chewy eggy layer problem to soak the bread in the egg for a good few minutes each side. I only left mine in for a quick moment.
• Bread that is not fresh but not too stale is best for this. Too dry and it will crack and you'll lose lots of filling, too fresh and it won't soak up all the eggyness.
• I served my French Toast with a sort of strawberry compote. I basically defrosted some berries and bubbled them on the hob with a drop of honey and almond essence for a few minutes. I would wholeheartedly recommend you do too.

Serves one

You will need

A frying pan

Bread

1 tbsp mascarpone or cream cheese

2 tsp of strawberry jam

a few fresh strawberries, chopped

1 egg

a splosh of milk

a few drops of almond essence

a knob of butter

• First slice a thickthickthick slice of bread. Make it as thick as at least two normal sized slices.
• Now slice halfway through the middle, making a pocket.
• Next job, mix together the mascarpone or cream cheese, jam and fresh berries and carefully spoon it into the bread pocket.
• Beat the egg with the milk and almond essence in a wide dish and soak the bread in the mixture for a few minutes each side while the frying pan is heating up.
• Melt a generous spot of butter in the pan and pop in the bread, leaving to cook on a medium heat for 4ish minutes on each side, keeping and eye on it. It's done when it's beautifully bronzed.
• Serve cut in half, topped with strawberry compote or maybe more fresh strawberries and sprinkled with heaps and heaps of icing sugar.