strawberry stuffed french toast

How to make strawberry stuffed french toast recipe - French toast is always a treat, but this cream cheese and strawberry version would be the pride of any brunch table.

MAKES 4

PREP TIME 10 mins, COOK TIME 30 mins

Ingredients
8 tbsp cream cheese
8 slices of challah bread or brioche, each 1 1⁄2in (4cm) thick
8–12 strawberries, hulled and thickly sliced
4 eggs
1⁄2 cup light brown sugar
1⁄2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp ground cinnamon
4 tbsp butter
honey, to serve

Method:
1 Preheat the oven to 375ºF (190ºC). Spread 1 tbsp of the cream cheese over each slice of bread. Top 4 bread slices with 2–3 strawberries each, then cover with the remaining bread slices to make 4 sandwiches.

2 In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, milk, vanilla extract, and cinnamon with a hand whisk. Dip the sandwiches in the egg mixture, submerging them completely.

3 In a frying pan, melt 1 tbsp of butter over medium heat. Panfry the sandwiches for 3–4 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Add the remaining butter to the pan, as needed, while frying the remaining sandwiches. Transfer to a baking sheet and put the sandwiches in the preheated oven for 5 minutes. Serve hot, drizzled with honey.

Preparing Strawberries:

1 To prepare a strawberry, hold the fruit on its side on a chopping board. Using a sharp knife, cut off the stalk without removing too much fruit.

2 Cut the strawberry in half. Lay each half cut-side down, then cut into slices of even thickness. Repeat for the remaining strawberries.