Stuffed French Toast

First, the important stuff: Today is THE LAST DAY to enter our GIVEAWAY! If you want to win a West Bend Bread Maker, check it out.

Now that we're mere hours from the weekend, it's time to start thinking about brunch. During the hectic work week, the husband and I eat things like oatmeal, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, and granola bars for breakfast. And the occasional Pop Tart. Don't judge.  Anyway, on the weekends, we're prone to get a little crazy with our first meal. I'll make eggs-in-a-hole or the husband will whip up the best pancakes you'll ever eat. It's weekend food.

Today's recipe is deceptively simple, and wonderfully decadent. Stuffed French Toast is fancy enough to serve to guests you want to impress, but it's perfect for your unshaven husband, sweatpant-clad best friend, bleary-eyed wife, or footie-pajama'ed kids. And doesn't that sound like a much more fun brunch crowd anyway?    

Stuffed French Toast

Serves: 4

4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

3 tablespoon sugar, divided

Pinch cinnamon

8 slices bread, toasted (I toast mine in the toaster.)

4 tablespoons jam (I'm partial to strawberry.)

4 tablespoons butter, divided

1 cup milk

1 egg

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Pinch salt

1/2 cup flour

Maple syrup and extra butter, for serving

Stir together cream cheese, 1 tablespoon sugar, and cinnamon. Evenly spread on four slices of the bread. Spread jam on the remaining slices of bread. Top each slice of jam-covered bread with a slice of cream cheese-covered bread to form four sandwiches.  

Melt 2 tablespoons butter and whisk it together with milk, egg, vanilla, salt, and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Once the ingredients are blended, whisk in the flour until combined. Pour the batter into a shallow dish. Place sandwiches into the batter and allow them to sit for about 1 minute on each side. 

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Place two batter-dipped "sandwiches" onto the skillet and cook for about 2.5 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Repeat with the final tablespoon of butter and remaining sandwiches. Keep french toast warm in a very low oven until you're ready to eat. Serve with maple syrup and a pat of butter.