Having a breakfast spot really puts me at an advantage to create out of this world dishes for a meal that can be so easily skipped over. Now I know that it is not realistic to be making a French Toast dish every morning, but there is always that once in a while that you have the time and want to make yourself or perhaps those special people in your life an awesome French Toast.
This French Toast is sure to be a crowd pleaser. French Toast in it's self is already a classic past time, but add a creamy sweetened, salty center and you have yourself a knock out. I created this recipe for one of my WFXB Fox TV' Carolina AM segments. They were all impressed how easy this dish was to put together. Not to mention, the combination of flavors and textures, left them asking me to make it every so often.
Serves 4
Dipping Custard:
Milk 2%, 1 1/2 cup
Eggs, large, 2
Vanilla Extract, 2 teaspoon
Brown Sugar, 1/3 cup
Cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon
Salt, 1/4 teaspoon
Ingredients for Preparing French Toast:
Bacon, pre-cooked, 4 slices *see Chef’s Notes
Cream Cheese, room temperature, 1 - 8 ounces
Maple Syrup, 2 - 3 tablespoon
French Bread, 8 thick slices
Unsalted Butter, as needed for cooking
Powder Sugar, as needed
Maple Syrup, as needed
Lets Get Cooking:
Start by cooking the bacon until crispy in a non stick skillet pan over medium heat, then crumble or chop into small pieces. Then wipe the pan out with paper towels and place back on the stove top.
Using a electric mixer or wooden spoon, beat the cream cheese until smooth, then beat in the maple syrup. Test the flavor, add more syrup if desired. Fold in the crumbled bacon with a rubber spatula and set aside.
Cut 8 slices of French bread about 1 inch thick at a bias. In a bowl, whisk together all the ingredients for the dipping custard. Dip each slice of bread into the custard and allow it to saturate, about 5 seconds. Transfer to a plate and repeat with all the slices.
In a non stick griddle or skillet pan, melt butter over a medium high heat. Once the butter is simmering, swirl arounf the pan and place the soaked bread onto the hot griddle, about 2-3 slices at a time. Grill on each side until golden brown about 2-3 minutes. Adjust heat if necessary if the French toast is cooking too quickly.
Transfer to a plate, spread about 1/4 cup of the cream cheese mixture between two slices of the French toast. Top with powdered sugar and syrup. Eat while still warm.
Chef’s Notes: For easy preparation, instead of using raw bacon, purchase precooked bacon at the store heat and finish cooking in a pan until the bacon is crispy.
Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day, it can be yours too with recipes like my Peanut Butter Banana French Toast.
Check out Johnny D’s for more info about what I do and make a plan to come visit us if you come through Myrtle Beach.
