My inspiration? Typically it comes in the form of getting a "rumbly in my tumbly". You know how some people predict weather using their various aches and pains? I rely on my stomach for inspiration as well as predicting what culinary delight I will create. It's a gift.
This morning was like the Perfect Storm in terms of cooking. It's Sunday, dreary and a cool 68 degrees on the back porch. Finally, my daughters did the grocery shopping for us yesterday. Throw in the memory of a beautiful B & B in Vermont where my husband and I married and the Chef there made us Stuffed French Toast; Hearty bread dipped in egg mixture, slathered with a sort of peach frosting and another piece of the bread. I'd never heard of anything like that before and enjoyed every bite. Culinary Karma was in the air this morning....
STUFFED FRENCH TOAST
Serves 4 - 5
Ingredients
1 - Loaf French Bread (or bread of your choice)
1 - Pint Ripe Strawberries hulled and sliced (roughly 1/8 inch slices)
4 - Ounces Cream Cheese (Half a standard block), softened
1/8 Pound of good Prosciutto, shaved
1/4 - Cup Confectioners Sugar plus extra for dusting
3 - Extra Large Eggs
2 to 3 - Cups Milk
A few shakes of Cinnamon and/or Nutmeg
Cast Iron Skillet thoroughly preheated over Medium heat
Cooking Spray
Large piece of aluminum foil
Sandwich sized Ziploc bag
Instructions
Slice French Bread on a diagonal in (roughly) 2 inch wide slices and set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs.
Whisk in Cinnamon and/or Nutmeg.
Whisk in Milk until all are thoroughly combined.
Set aside while prepping other ingredients to give the spices time to really flavor the egg mixture.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, using a wooden spoon (or whatever works best for you), thoroughly combine 1/4 Cup Confectioners Sugar and Cream Cheese. Set aside.
Spray skillet with cooking spray.
Dip a piece of bread in the egg mixture and place it on the skillet.
On that piece of bread, layer the following: One layer of Prosciutto, then 1 - 2 Tbls. of Sweetened Cream Cheese (we used a frosting spreader for this) and Strawberries.
Dip a second piece of bread in the egg mixture and use it as the final layer in this 'sandwich'.
Repeat with remainder of ingredients.
Cover skillet with the foil, shiny side down.
After 2 or 3 minutes, remove the foil and using a wide spatula, lift the corner of the sandwich to see if it's browned. If yes, carefully flip over the sandwiches and replace foil over skillet. If no, give it another minute.
NOTE: If you're using Cast Iron, turn the heat down to low or medium low at this point to prevent the sandwiches burning.
Flip the sandwiches a couple of times more and remove them to a serving dish.
Fill the Ziploc bag with the remaining sweetened cream cheese mixture.
Squeeze all air out of the bag and close the Ziploc.
Shake the bag until all of the mixture has settled at one of the bottom corners of the bag.
Snip open a small hole at that corner of the bag.
Use this to pipe the mixture on to the top of the sandwiches.
Stick strawberry slices in to, or around, the cream cheese mixture.
Put Confectioner's sugar in to a sifter and sprinkle it over the sandwiches and serve.
This is so tasty and it goes as nicely with a Mimosa as it does an ice cold glass of Milk. Also, it's fun to cook this with a second person since it lends itself to an 'assembly line' method of preparation.
Enjoy!!!
