As a follow-up to the Bed and Breakfast post last week, I thought I would post the Stuffed French Toast recipe we have always used...well, at least since 1995 when Tom and I stayed at Mast Farm Inn and purchased their family style cookbook written by Sibyl Pressly, Innkeeper at that time.
Tom has fixed this for many Mother's Day breakfasts-in-bed for me, and it is definitely my favorite treat. Sarah usually makes it when we have company, and I've included her variations from the regular recipe.
2 loaves french bread- 1 8-ounce bar cream cheese at room temp
- 1 15-ounce carton ricotta cheese (we use a small amount of plain yogurt instead of ricotta, with some added sugar and vanilla extract)
- Peach or apricot preserves (or strawberry or apple butter, our favorite)
- 2 cups milk
- 8 eggs
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tablespoons vanilla
- generous sprinkling nutmeg
- butter and/or oil
- Slice french bread diagonally into 1/2 to 3/4 inch slices.
- Blend ricotta and cream cheese with a fork until smooth and spread on one side of each slice of bread, not quite allowing cheese to reach edges. Top cheese side of one slice of bread with 1 teaspoon preserves and press second slice of bread on top, cheese sides together. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate several hours or overnight. (Makes 20 to 24 pieces.)
- When ready to use, place bread in a single layer in shallow pan. Mix milk, eggs, vanilla, salt, and nutmeg in blender. Blend 5 seconds on medium speed. Pour milk mixture over bread. Allow bread to soak a few minutes, then turn to coat both sides. Remove from egg-milk mixture and saute in 1/4 inch butter or mixture of oil and butter until golden brown.
- Serve immediately or put in 250 degree oven on baking sheet to keep hot until serving time. Serve with raspberry jam, maple, or other fruit syrup. Add whipped cream on top.
* Homemade french bread is the best for this recipe but any loaf of good dense french bread will do--not the light fluffy kind.
* It's difficult to make the bread and the cheese mixture come out even since the size of the loaves varies. Leftover cheese mixture may be stored 1 to 2 weeks in covered container in refrigerator.
The extra comments above are in the cookbook written as notes from Sibyl. I like the cookbook for this very reason. The recipes are ones you are likely to follow, and she also adds her personal observations from years of experience throughout the book.
~Deb
