Strawberry Stuffed French Toast

This is breakfast that eats like dessert. Two slices of thick, bakery-style bread get a generous schmear, one with cream cheese, the other with strawberry jam, then pressed together so the filling turns molten as it cooks.

Stuffing the filling inside, rather than spreading it on top, is the whole point. As the sandwich fries, the cream cheese softens and the jam warms into a tangy-sweet center tucked safely between two custardy slices.

The egg-and-vanilla batter is rich, six eggs for two sandwiches, so the bread drinks up plenty and fries into a golden, slightly crisp shell. Thick bakery bread holds up to the dunk; flimsy sandwich bread would go to mush.

Cut into triangles, dusted heavily with confectioners’ sugar and crowned with fresh sliced strawberries, it’s the kind of plate that makes a lazy weekend or a Valentine’s morning feel like an occasion.

Kitchen Tips

• Use thick, sturdy bakery bread, slightly stale is even better, so it soaks the batter without falling apart.
• Soften the cream cheese fully so it spreads thick and even.
• Cook over moderate heat so the outside browns by the time the filling warms through.
• Press the sandwich gently as it cooks so it seals and the filling stays put.

Variations

• Swap the strawberry jam for raspberry, blueberry or apricot.
• Add fresh banana or a drizzle of chocolate-hazelnut spread inside.
• Serve with maple syrup or a dusting of cinnamon sugar.