Stuffed French Toast

Anyone who know me knows how much I love to go to Disneyland. One of my favorite places to eat is Steakhouse 55 in the Disneyland Resort Hotel. For breakfast, they serve a stuffed French toast that is to die for. Since Disneyland is currently closed, we had to come up with our own version at home.

This french toast is NOT a quick and easy meal. In fact, you’ll want to make as much of it ahead of time as you can. I like to make the custard, and maybe even the filling, the day before.

Whisk the eggs in a bowl. Make the custard by combining the cream, sugar, and vanilla beans.  Bring to a simmer over medium heat and whisk until the sugar is dissolved.  Temper the eggs by slowly adding a ladleful of the cream mixture while whisking.  Add another ladle full of cream and whisk.  Slowly pour the remaining cream into the egg mixture, whisking to combine.  Cool to room temperature. The custard can be made the night before and stored in the refrigerator.

Slice a loaf of brioche bread into 3-4 slices. Use a paring knife to make a small slit on the side of each slice of bread.  Arrange the bread in a 9×13 pan and cover with the custard.  Soak for 1 hour.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Put the bread in a clean 9×13 pan and bake 45-55 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

While the toast is baking, make the filling.  In a medium bowl, combine the mascarpone, ricotta, strawberries, sugar, and vanilla.  Beat with an electric mixer until fully combined.  Transfer to a piping bag with a large round tip.  Chill until ready to use.

In a separate bowl, combine the strawberries, lemon juice, sugar, lemon zest, and blueberries.  Allow to stand for 10 minutes.  This will allow the juices from the strawberries to come out. Add the maple syrup and mix to combine.

Next, whip the cream. Add the cream, sugar, and vanilla to a separate bowl and whip with a hand mixture until soft peaks form.  You can also use a high-speed blender to whip the cream.

Pipe the ricotta and cheese mixture into the slit in the slices French toast.  Optional: sprinkle the top of the French toast with sanding sugar and melt the sugar with a kitchen torch.  Top with the fruit mixture and the whipped cream.  Garnish with a mint leaf if desired.

Stuffed French Toast

From the Kitchen of Lynnae Hymas

Serves: 4-6

Prep Time: 3-4 hours

Cook Time: 45-55 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

Custard

• 1-2 loaves of brioche bread, cut into 4-6 slices
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 4 cups heavy cream
• 1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped
• 3 eggs

Filling 

• ¾ cup mascarpone cheese, softened
• ¾ cup ricotta cheese
• ¾ cup strawberries, quartered
• ¼ cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Strawberry Topping

• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 2 cups strawberries
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 1 cup blueberries
• ½ cup real maple syrup

Whipped Cream

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Assembly

• ½ cup sanding sugar (optional)
• Fresh mint leaves (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS:

To make the French toast, using a paring knife make a small slit on the side of each slice of toast.  Make the custard by combining the cream, sugar, and vanilla beans.  Bring to a simmer over medium heat and whisk until the sugar is dissolved.  Temper the eggs by adding them to a large bowl, and slowly adding a ladleful of the cream mixture while whisking.  Add another ladle full of cream and whisk.  Slowly pour the remaining cream into the egg mixture, whisking to combine.  Cool to room temperature.  The custard can be made the night before and stored in the refrigerator.

Arrange the bread in a 9×13 pan and cover with the custard.  Soak for 1 hour.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Put the bread in a clean 9×13 pan and bake 45-55 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

While the toast is baking, make the filling.  In a medium bowl, combine the mascarpone, ricotta, strawberries, sugar, and vanilla.  Beat with an electric mixer until fully combined.  Transfer to a piping bag with a large round tip.  Chill until ready to use.

In a separate bowl, combine the strawberries, lemon juice, sugar, lemon zest, and blueberries.  Allow to stand for 10 minutes.  Add the maple syrup and mix to combine.

Add the cream, sugar, and vanilla to a separate bowl and whip with a hand mixture until soft peaks form.  You can also use a high-speed blender to whip the cream.

Pipe the ricotta and cheese mixture into the slit in the slices French toast.  Optional: sprinkle the top of the French toast with sanding sugar and melt the sugar with a kitchen torch.  Top with the fruit mixture and the whipped cream.  Garnish with a mint leaf if desired.