Using a paring knife, cut through the bottom
crust of each slice of bread horizontally, to create a pocket that your fruit filling can be stuffed into.
In a small mixing bowl, combine the softened cream cheese,
Strawberry Jam and
lemon zest. Fold in the blueberries. Place the mixture into a re-sealable bag. When you are ready to stuff the bread you will snip off a corner of the bag and pipe the filling in.
In a
baking dish,
whisk together the
milk, 1 tablespoon melted butter,
brown sugar, vanilla,
cinnamon and eggs.
In a large, heavy-bottomed skillet
melt the 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat.
Using the re-sealable bag as a
pastry bag, stuff each slice of bread with about 2 tablespoons of the
cream cheese mixture. Once the slices are stuffed, place each slice into the milk and egg mixture for about 10 seconds per side. Once the slices are coated with the
custard base, place them into the skillet to brown. Work in batches. Cook each slice of stuffed French toast until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes per side. If cooking a large batch, transfer the cooked French toast to a baking sheet and keep warm in a 200 degree F oven while you cook the rest of the slices. Repeat the process with the remaining
French toast. Serve warm, topped with extra berries,
powdered sugar and
maple syrup.
Strawberry Strata
