Stuffed French Toast

French toast is breakfast classic not just here in the United States, but pretty much all over the world. It has been a favorite since the days of the Ancient Romans. When the Ancient Romans were eating what we now know as French Toast, back in the 5th century A.D., it was known as aliter dulce, or another sweet dish, because bread was dipped in milk and then fried in butter and topped with a sweetener. Sounds very familiar, right?!

During the Medieval times of France, this dish became known as pain perdu, which literally means lost bread, because it was made from stale bread that was dipped in an egg and milk batter and then fried. This was a way to cut waste and to use up everything. All food was a very precious commodity back then, and even stale foods needed to be used. What we in the United States know as French toast, goes by many other names in various parts of the world, including pain perdu. It is also known as Spanish toast, German toast, nun’s toast, eggy bread, torriga, poor knights of Windsor, Bombay toast, and many other names as well. It became known as French toast when it spread to England and then to America in the 1700’s.

The basic recipe for French toast consists of three main ingredients – bread, milk and eggs. And of course, there are many other different variations. Today, most of the recipes include sugar and vanilla in the batter. Sometimes it is stuffed with either a cream cheese or yogurt or whipped cream filling. Sometimes it has fruit added. And sometimes it has chocolate added to it. Once again, there is definitely more than just one way to make this delicious breakfast favorite. The only limitations are the limitations of your own imagination.

The other day, Noah and I made a fruity version of this breakfast classic. Noah, like me, is not a big cheese eater, so no cream cheese filling. I didn’t think about using yogurt, but instead chose to have Noah make some whipped cream for his filling. Only after we made the whipped cream did I learn that he is not a big fan of whipped cream either. But he thoroughly enjoyed the French toast with fruit. We served it with some grilled chicken and apple sausage. I think his smile says it all. He was ready to dig in and enjoy.

The recipe I used was borrowed and tweaked from our very own Sheree, from The Musette and A View From the Back https://viewfromtheback.com/. Merci beaucoup, mon amie.

The Batter

1 egg

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk – I used cinnamon swirl almond milk

2 TBSP sugar – I used raw sugar

dash of vanilla

pinch of salt

2 pieces of thick egg bread, the thicker the better

The Filling

1/2 cup Greek yogurt

dash of salt or salty shakes

1 TBSP sugar

sliced fruit of your choice

sprinkle with powdered sugar, optional

maple syrup to top, optional

Mix the batter and dip the bread into the batter. Shake off the excess. Get a skillet nice and hot and add some butter. Carefully place the bread into the hot skillet and cook until golden brown on both sides, about 5-7 minutes.

When the bread is golden brown, add the filling if using, and some of the sliced fruit on top of one piece of the bread, then repeat. Noah loves his fruit, so he used a sliced banana, some raspberries, blackberries and strawberries for his topping. Then he added a little powdered sugar and some maple syrup as well.

And here is his finished creation. Yet again, Noah and I had a good time in the kitchen, and he thoroughly enjoyed his latest culinary creation. He is so much fun. He is always open to trying everything, and he really gets into his cooking.

It was kind of healthy, right?! He did not use any of the whipped cream, and it was loaded with fruit, plus we served it with some chicken and apple sausage. So it wasn’t all bad, plus, Noah is young and strong, and eats everything in sight, without an ounce of fat on him, unlike me, who has enough fat for both of us. Noah even joked about that. I told him I use a lot of heavy whipping cream when I cook, because I love creamy sauces. He said he could tell. Oh well, it is what is is, and I am what I am. Too late now. My secret is out. 🙂

Make the most of everyday. Stay safe ands stay well Everyone. ‘Til next time.