twiddlerecipe: stuffed french toast

My friend Chris is visiting this week to meet Ramona and to work with me on a project that he'll be presenting at the American Astronomical Society meeting in Anchorage, Alaska.  I'm more than a little bit jealous about that.  Chris also likes to cook, so we've actually put my kitchen to its intended use again, as opposed to the baby washing station that it's become.

images from my past fade into the background (i.e., the kitchen aid stand mixer)

Last night we made strawberry and cream cheese stuffed french toast, using uncut bakery burger buns as the bread.  I didn't really note the exact amounts or the time, but the method is pretty simple.

strawberry stuffed french toast

butter

~8oz strawberries, washed, hulled, and thinly sliced

~1/4 c sugar give or take to taste, depending on your strawberries

4 oz cream cheese, room temperature

~1 t vanilla extract

4 uncut bakery burger buns

3 eggs

1 c cream

~1/2 cinnamon

~1 t vanilla extract

~2 t honey

Combine the strawberries and sugar and allow to macerate.  Pulse together the macerated strawberries, cream cheese, and vanilla extract until mostly combined.  It's nice to not completely pulverize the berries, so that there's a bit of texture.

Cut holes into the burger buns, such that a pocket forms.  Stuff the buns with the mixture.  The pockets shouldn't be overflowing, but just filled.

In a large, shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and honey.  Soak each of the stuffed buns in the mixture.  Cook in butter on all sides, rotating the buns so that all six sides are done (so you're not eating raw eggs) and golden brown.