Stuffed French Toast with Fruit Salad

This brunch dish is wonderful, rich, and not complicated, and can be prepared in advance. If you do prepare it in advance, the only adjustment needed will be when cooking the French toast. Since you will have chilled it overnight, you will want to allow time to warm the bread all the way through, without burning it, so a lower heat may be needed. The syrup can be re-warmed in the microwave, or on the stove top. When we had it for breakfast with our very young grandchildren, I prepared slices of the bread without the filling. This worked very well without making a separate dish.

A large bowl of fruit salad makes a good and very simple side dish.  Add coffee, tea, and juice, or maybe a fruit punch, and you’re ready to enjoy a wonderful meal with your family and friends. Blessings...

Recipe:

1 8-ounce package Neufchatel (low-fat) cream cheese, softened
1 cup apricot jam
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ cup finely chopped pecans
1 16-ounce loaf sweet French bread
4 eggs
1 cup whipping cream or half-and-half
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon vanilla
½ cup orange juice

1. In a small bowl beat together the cream cheese, 2 tablespoons of the apricot jam, and the teaspoon of vanilla until light and fluffy. Stir in the pecans and set aside. Cut the bread into ten to twelve 1 ½-inch-thick slices; cut a pocket in the top of each. Fill the pocket with about 1-½ tablespoons of the cheese mixture.
2. Combine the remaining apricot jam and orange juice in a small saucepan. Warm over low heat, whisking as jam melts so the mixture becomes a smooth syrup.
3. Beat together eggs, whipping cream, cinnamon and the 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Preheat a large frying pan over medium heat, or use a griddle, if preferred. Using tongs, dip filled bread slices in the egg mixture, being careful not to squeeze out the filling. Cook in lightly greased pan for about 2 minutes per side or until lightly brown. Keep warm in a 300-degree oven while cooking remaining slices.
4. To serve, drizzle warm syrup over the hot French toast. Delicious!

Yield: 5 to 6 servings
Tip: For a lower fat version, use 1 cup refrigerated egg product in place of whole eggs and 1 % milk instead of whipping cream. It is still excellent and a little easier on the waistline.