recipe: Stuffed French Toast with Cream Cheese & Strawberries

What’s the quintessential Mother’s Day gift?  Breakfast-in-bed, of course.  I have so many happy memories of my brother and me fixing breakfast for our mom on this special day – although I don’t remember it being anything super-fancy (sorry, Mom).  But as a mother now myself, (to John, 4 years, and baby Michael, 3 weeks!) even an extra half an hour spent relaxing in bed is a surely a gift to be treasured.

Below is a delicious recipe to prepare for your mother (or the mother of your children) this year.  It’s rather easy and even relatively young children can get their hands “dirty” with this one (Dad should fry the French toast though). This recipe comes from a kids’ cooking class that I taught at Dish Cooking Studio in Toronto, ten years ago (has it been that long already?).  It was a hit with the kids during those classes – and hopefully a hit when those kids made it for their moms.

Stuffed French Toast with Cream Cheese & Strawberries

(serves 2)

ingredients

·        4 (four) slices of whole wheat or white bread

·        4 (four) tablespoons cream cheese, plain or fruit-flavoured
·        4 (four) large strawberries, hulled and thinly-sliced
·        3 (three) eggs, lightly beaten
·        ¼ (one-quarter) cup milk
·        1-2 (one to two) tablespoons butter for frying pan
·        maple syrup, to taste
·        whipped cream, optional
·        additional sliced strawberries, optional

method

1.      Spread one tablespoon of softened cream cheese onto one side of each slice of bread.  Scatter thinly-sliced strawberries onto two slices of the bread.  Top with the remaining two slices of bread to make two “sandwiches”.

2.      In a small, shallow bowl, lightly beat the eggs.  Add the milk and stir to combine.  Carefully place the sandwich in the bowl, coating with the egg mixture.  Gently turn the sandwich over to coat the other side.  Repeat with the second sandwich.

3.      Heat and melt butter in a large frying pan over medium-high heat.  Ensure that butter has coated the entire surface of the pan.  Carefully add each French toast sandwich to pan.  Cook for approx. 2 minutes, until bottom side of bread is crisp and light brown in colour.  Using a spatula, flip each sandwich over and cook for another 1-2 minutes.  Turn off element.

4.      Remove stuffed French toast from pan and serve with maple syrup and whipped cream and/or additional sliced strawberries, if desired.  Enjoy!