Lemon Ricotta Mascarpone Stuffed French Toast

Image May 20, 2023 Tangie Holifield

Berries are in season and there is nothing better like a bright, celebratory brunch punctuated with lemon, and this stuffed French toast is just that. Fluffy, custard-like slices of brioche get filled with creamy ricotta and mascarpone cheese that is flavored with fresh lemon juice and zest, and then get toasted in butter until golden-brown. It’s the classic French toast you know and love, only elevated with a decadent center that makes it fit for a celebration.

Serves 4 to 6

INGREDIENTS:

One pound loaf unsliced brioche bread

1 large lemon

One 16-ounce container ricotta cheese

4 ounces mascarpone cheese

1/2 cup granulated sugar, divided

3 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 1/2 cups whole or 2% milk

6 large eggs

4 to 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

For garnish: toasted pecans, cooked bacon crumbles

For serving: fresh berries, maple syrup, powdered sugar and finely grated lemon zest

DIRECTIONS:

Trim the ends off an unsliced loaf brioche or challah bread. Cut crosswise into 2-inch thick slices (4 to 6 slices total). Cut a pocket into each slice: Arrange it cut-side down on the cutting board. Position a small knife parallel to the cutting board and use it to cut a pocket into the side, being careful not to cut all the way through. Insert your fingers into the pocket and gently press around with your fingers to compress the bread slightly.

Finely grate the zest of 1 large lemon into a medium bowl (about 2 teaspoons); juice the lemon into the bowl until you have 2 tablespoons. Add ricotta cheese, mascarpone cheese 1/4 cup of the granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon of the vanilla extract, and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt. Stir until the sugar is almost completely dissolved.

Transfer into a piping bag or large plastic zip-top bag. Cut off one bottom corner of the zip-top or the tip of the piping bag and generously pipe the filling into the pocket of each bread slice. The filling should completely fill the pocket but not overflow, and you may have leftover filling.

Place 1 1/2 cups whole, 6 large eggs, remaining 1/4 cup granulated sugar, and remaining 2 teaspoons vanilla extract in a 9×13-inch baking dish and whisk until smooth and no streaks of unincorporated egg are visible. Fit a wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet.

Place as many bread slices as can fit in a single layer into the milk mixture. Soak, flipping once, until the bread is saturated but not soggy, about 30 seconds per side. Transfer the bread slices to the wire rack; repeat soaking the remaining slices.

Melt 2 tablespoons of the unsalted butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add as many bread slices as can fit in a single layer with space around each one. Cook until golden-brown and the custard in the bread is cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes per side (reduce the heat as needed to cook the toast for the full amount of time). Transfer to serving plates and tent with aluminum foil if not serving right away or keep warm in a 250ºF oven.

Cook the remaining bread slices, melting 2 tablespoons of the unsalted butter in the pan before each batch. Garnish with pecans, bacon crumbles, and mint, if deired. Serve with a dusting of powdered sugar, maple syrup, berries, and more lemon zest if desired.

RECIPE NOTES
Make ahead: The cheese filling can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated in an airtight container. Storage: Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

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Fantastic French Toast

Image February 14, 2021 Tangie Holifield

French Toasts made with LA BOULANGERIE Super Flakey Croissant Toast and Fresh Raspberries.

I think I am in love!

I found the perfect bread to make French Toast and itis LA BOULANGERIE Super Flakey Croissant Toast!

World Wide, the Croissant is everyone’s favorite pastry, but now in a mouth-watering loaf-style toast. I discovered this wonder bread while stocking my kitchen box from Imperfect Foods. With a glossy crust and a soft buttery inside, it looks almost too good to eat. Almost. A simple addition to any breakfast or lunch, enjoy it fresh with butter and jam, toasted and topped with avocado, or go crazy and make French toast, like I did in the recipe below. With top-quality, non-GMO ingredients and cage-free eggs, this toast tastes like it is just fresh out of a Parisien bakery. Who says you cannot travel from your kitchen!

And even if you cannot find LA BOULANGERIE Super Flakey Croissant Toast in your area, any thick sliced, brioche, challah, Italian, or plain white sandwich bread will work as well.

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:
8 slices (1-inch thick) brioche, Italian, or plain white sandwich bread
1 cup whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

6-8 tablespoons unsalted butter
confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
seasonal fresh fruit, for garnish
warm maple syrup,for serving

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 170º F.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, cream, sugar and cinnamon; and then whisk in the eggs and vanilla. Pour the egg batter into a shallow 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Add the bread and allow the bread to soak for 5 minutes.

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a cast iron skillet of medium heat. Add the soaked bread to skillet, two pieces at at time, and fry until golden brown on both sides. Placed the toast on a baking sheet and place it in oven to keep warm. Repeat the process with remaining slices of bread.

Transfer the toast of a platter. Dust with confectioners’ sugar and garnish with seasonal fresh fruit. Serve family style with maple syrup, if desired.

Voila, easy French toast.

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Crêpes à la Sauce Camembert

Image December 9, 2019 Tangie Holifield

A crêpe or crepe is a type of very thin pancake. Crêpes are usually of two types: crêpes sucrées or sweet crepes, which are made with white flour and eaten for dessert; and crêpes salées also known as savoury galettes, that are made with buckwheat flour and filled with savory fixings.

In terms of culinary etymology, crêpes belong to the general category of ancient Greek Tiganitai, from Greek tiganos (τίγανος), meaning “frying pan”, which in English is literally translated to Pancakes. The French term, crêpe, derives from the Latin crispa, meaning with “creases”. The name “galette” came from the French word galet (“pebble”) since the first gallettes were made on a large pebble heated in a fire.

While crêpes are often associated with Brittany, a region in the northwest of France, they are also enjoyed throughout France, Belgium, Canada, and many parts of Europe, North Africa, Lebanon, and Argentina.

Preparing crêpes at home is also common, and very easy. As a home cook, you have the ultimate freedom to use whatever fillings you like. In this way, crêpes salées become a wrapper for all types of leftovers. It should be noted that the addition of an egg almost always improves a savory crêpe.

This is an Americanized recipe where the crepe batter needs to be refrigerated for at least 30 minutes before cooking the crepes. As the batter chills, the flour expands and absorbs the liquid, which helps produce tender crepes. You can cook the crepes in advance and fill them just before serving.

Recipe Adapted from

Williams-Sonoma

2019

Serves 6

Ingredients:

3 eggs
2 cups milk
3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon canola oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 pound white button mushrooms, sliced
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
3/4 pound thick-cut baked ham, chopped
1 cup heavy cream
4 ounces Camembert cheese, rind removed, diced
4 green onions, white and light green portions, chopped
1/2 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

Directions:

In a bowl, whisk together the eggs and 1 cup of the milk. Add the 3/4 cup flour and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and whisk until the batter is smooth. Stir in the canola oil. Refrigerate the batter for at least 30 minutes or as long as overnight before making the crepes.

In a crepe pan over medium heat, melt 1/4 Tbs. of the butter. Pour about 1/4 cup batter into the pan, then quickly tilt and turn the pan in a circular motion to spread the batter evenly to the edges. Cook until the crepe is golden underneath, 1 to 2 minutes. Using a spatula, flip the crepe and cook for 1 to 2 minutes more. Transfer to a warm plate. Repeat to make 12 crepes.

In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, warm 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add half of the mushrooms, 1/2 teaspoon the salt and pepper and sauté until the mushrooms are dark brown, 5 to 6 minutes. Push the mushrooms to the side of the pan, add the remaining mushrooms, and sauté until the liquid evaporates and the mushrooms are dark brown, 6 to 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the mushrooms to a bowl. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and the ham to the pan and sauté until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Transfer the ham to the bowl with the mushrooms.

Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the remaining 1 cup milk and whisk in the 3 tablespoons of flour. Simmer until the sauce thickens, about 2 minutes. Add the cream and cheese and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens, about 3 minutes. Add the ham, mushrooms, green onions and parsley and stir until heated through. Spoon 1/4 cup of the filling in the middle of each crepe and roll the crepe around the filling.

Cook’s Notes:

When making crêpes, you make your batter ahead of time. The night before is ideal, but at least two hours in advance is required.If you are making the crêpesbatter the night before, refrigerate it, and then let it come to room temperature before cooking. You want to give it time to relax into itself, and for the flour to absorb the liquid evenly. If the batter looks a little dry after this resting period, it’s ok to add a bit more liquid.

Another great thing: crepes freeze incredibly well. My suggestion is to make the entire batch at once, even if you will have extra. Simply layer what you won’t eat between parchment paper, move to a sealed plastic bag, and voila! Now you have crêpes for the next time too.