30 Before 30: Stuffed French Toast (#10)

One of my subgoals for this challenge was to try to not modify the recipes. It's something my mom and I do that drove my chef dad crazy. “You've never done it before, how can you change it?” (this from the guy that would cover all of his food in pepper before tasting it. Ha!). Well, as I've noted, doing a recipe perfectly from a cookbook, especially when you're doing many of them in a short period of time, is difficult. You're not always going to have everything you need in the house, but you might be really close. And it's early. And you're hungry. So modify.

This is from my Alice Bay Cookbook and has lots of recipes out of the Skagit Valley in Northern Washington. I had to change some things. Like some big things. There are no walnuts in my version and I subbed in strawberry preserves for the apricot ones. I'm definitely missing the textural contrast of the nuts, but this is a really tasty breakfast regardless.

Stuffed French Toast modified from Walnut French Toast via Alice Bay Cookbook:

Makes 5-6 portions

1 8-oz. package cream cheese, at room temperature

1 tsp. vanilla

½ c. walnuts, chopped

16-oz. loaf French bread

1 c. whipping cream

½ tsp. vanilla

½ tsp. freshly ground nutmeg

12-oz. jar apricot preserves

½ c. orange juice

In a small bowl, beat cream cheese and 1 teaspoon of vanilla until fluffy. Stir in nuts. Don't feel bad if you don't have them.

Cut bread into 10-12 slices about 1½ inches thick. Cut a pocket in each bread by slicing from the top halfway to the bottom. Fill pockets with cream cheese.

In a medium bowl, beat eggs, cream, ½ teaspoon of vanilla, and nutmeg. Use tongs to dip “sandwiches” into egg mixture. Cook on a lightly greased griddle or skillet over medium heat until brown on both sides. Keep warm in oven.

In a small saucepan, heat preserves and orange juice. Drizzle on top of French toast and serve on warmed plates.

I think no matter the fruit you use, this is going to taste fantastically delicious and decadent.

Recipes Complete: 10

Recipes to Go: 20