Chocolate Mascarpone Stuffed French Toast With Strawberry Syrup Food

WAFFLES WITH FRESH STRAWBERRY SYRUP

Steps:

• Preheat a waffle iron according to the manufacturer's instructions. Into a medium bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, and salt.
• In a separate bowl, beat together the egg yolks and sugar until the sugar is completely dissolved and eggs have turned a pale yellow. Add the milk, melted butter, and vanilla extract and whisk to combine. Add the flour mixture to the egg-milk mixture and whisk just until blended. Do not overmix. In a third bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until soft peaks form, about 1 minute.Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the egg whites into the waffle batter, being careful not to overmix. Coat the waffle iron with nonstick cooking spray, if required, and pour enough batter in the iron to just cover the waffle grid. Close and cook as per the manufacturer's instructions until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. (Do not open the waffle iron for at least 1 minute.) Repeat with the remaining batter.
• Serve immediately with Strawberry Syrup spooned over the top of each waffle.
• In a medium saucepan, combine all the ingredients and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer until the strawberries are soft and the syrup is thickened and reduced by one-third to one-half in volume, 15 to 18 minutes.
• Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature before serving. (If thinner syrup is desired, strain the hot syrup through a fine mesh strainer into a clean container and let cool.)

CHOCOLATE MASCARPONE STUFFED FRENCH TOAST WITH STRAWBERRY SYRUP

Steps:

• Cook's Note: Mascarpone is similar to cream cheese in flavor (but better) and has the consistency to match. It makes a great base for this super-easy yummy filling.
• Combine the mascarpone, heavy cream, orange zest and sugar in a bowl. Add the melted chocolate and mix until all the ingredients are incorporated. Using an offset spatula or butter knife, take a generous scoop of the chocolate-mascarpone filling, about 2 tablespoons, and slather it on 1 slice of the brioche, and then top with another slice of brioche. Repeat with the remaining slices and filling; you will make 6 sandwiches.
• In a shallow dish, whisk together the eggs and half-and-half to make an egg bath. (If you don't have half-and-half, milk or heavy cream will work just fine.)
• Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.
• Preheat a nonstick griddle or large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon butter to the skillet, moving it around to coat the surface. Dip each sandwich in the egg bath, turning over to coat and soak both sides. Place the sandwich on the hot griddle. (Place only as many sandwiches as will fit easily on the griddle, don't overcrowd.) Cook, in batches, until golden, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer the sandwiches to an oven-safe platter and cover loosely with foil. Place in the oven to keep warm. Add more butter to the griddle, as necessary, and cook the remaining sandwiches.
• Cut the sandwiches diagonally in half, and serve 2 to 3 halves per person. Dust the sandwich with confectioners' sugar and grate chocolate over the top. Ladle a generous portion of the Strawberry Syrup over the sandwiches, or serve alongside for your guests to serve themselves.
• In a large saucepan over high heat, add the strawberries and sugar. (A large saucepan is needed just in case the strawberry syrup starts to boil up the sides.) If the strawberries are not as ripe or sweet as you like, add 1/3 cup more sugar. Add 2/3 cup water, the corn syrup and sea salt to the pan. Stir together until the sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Strain out the strawberries and continue to boil the liquid until the mixture has thickened to a syrupy consistency, another 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice and add the strawberries back to the saucepan. Gently stir to coat the strawberries in the syrup. (The syrup can be stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or cooled and frozen.)
• Cook's Note: For an orange-lover's option, use fresh orange juice instead of the lemon juice to finish the syrup. Alternately, for a rich, adult-friendly sauce, add a splash of orange liqueur, like Grand Marnier, to the sauce. Although the alcohol won't completely cook out, most will if cooked a few minutes longer. Yield: 3 1/2 cups

CHOCOLATE AND STRAWBERRY STUFFED FRENCH TOAST

Steps:

• In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk and vanilla. Set aside.
• Place 1 tablespoon of ricotta in the center of 4 of the pieces of bread and spread around slightly. Top with about 6 slices of strawberries and a teaspoon of chocolate chips. Cover each with another piece of bread to make a "sandwich".
• Spray a large nonstick skillet or griddle with cooking spray and preheat. Carefully dip each of the "sandwiches" into the egg mixture until completely moistened. Then place on the skillet and cook over a medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until the outside is golden brown and the center is warm and chocolate is melted.
• Transfer to serving places. Top with remaining strawberries and sprinkle with confectioners' sugar.

CLASSIC FRENCH TOAST WITH STRAWBERRY SYRUP

Steps:

• Crack the eggs into a blender and add the milk and cinnamon. Blend until the yolks and whites are incorporated. (This step can be accomplished in a shallow dish with a whisk or fork as well.) Pour the mixture into a shallow dish or wide-bottom bowl.
• Heat a large nonstick skillet or griddle over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the butter and swirl it around the pan; when melted, place 1 piece of bread in the egg mixture to soak in for about 10 seconds. Turn over and let soak on other side. This is a quick process don't let bread soak too long as it will get too soggy. Drain off excess egg and place the bread in the hot pan. Immediately soak 3 more bread slices, taking care not to over-crowd the pan.
• Cook until golden brown, turning once, about 2 minutes per side.
• Repeat with remaining butter and bread slices. Serve with Strawberry Syrup spooned over or on the side at the table.
• Place the strawberries, sugar, vanilla and 2 tablespoons water into a wide saucepan or skillet large enough to hold the strawberries in a single layer. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-low heat and cook gently until the strawberries are very soft and ruby red in color throughout., but still hold their shape, about 5 minutes .
• Serve warm over French toast or on the side at the table.

STRAWBERRY MASCARPONE FRENCH TOAST

Steps:

• Coat the inside of a 13 x 9 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
• In a big bowl, whisk 1 cup sugar, eggs, heavy cream, and cinnamon.
• Add in bread and stir to blend.
• Pour half of the bread mixture into the baking dish.
• In a small bowl, stir the mascarpone, the remaining ¼ cup sugar, and the berries.
• Dot the top of the French toast with the cheese mixture, spreading it to the edges as best you can (dip an offset spatula into warm water to help spread).
• Top with the remaining bread mixture and drizzle with melted butter.
• Preheat oven to 350°; bake for 35-40 minutes or until the top is golden brown; let rest for 10 minutes, then serve warm.
• OAMC: after step 7, cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to1 month.
• Defrost casserole overnight in the refrigerator, if necessary.
• Let casserole come to room temperature for about 30 minutes; preheat oven as above.
• Bake as directed.

MASCARPONE-STUFFED FRENCH TOAST WITH BERRY TOPPING

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch and salt. Whisk in water. Stir in frozen berries. Bring to a boil; cook and stir 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat; stir in fresh berries., On each of six bread slices, spread 1 tablespoon mascarpone to within 1/2 in. of edges. Top with remaining bread. In a shallow bowl, whisk eggs, cream, milk, cinnamon and vanilla., In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Dip both sides of sandwiches in egg mixture, allowing each side to soak 2 minutes. Place three sandwiches in skillet; toast 4-5 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Repeat with remaining butter and sandwiches. Serve with warm berry sauce.

MASCARPONE STUFFED FRENCH TOAST WITH PEACHES

Steps:

• Peel peaches, remove pits, and slice into a heavy saucepan, catching all the juices. Stir in sugar, nutmeg, and cinnamon, and cook over medium heat until bubbly. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the sauce reaches a syrupy consistency, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Meanwhile, cut off and discard the ends of the bolillo rolls. Slice the rolls into 1 1/4-inch-thick slices. Lay each slice of bread on a board, and with a sharp knife held parallel to the board, cut a pocket into each slice, leaving three sides intact. Set aside.
• Stir together the mascarpone, confectioners' sugar, and lemon zest until smooth. Scoop this mixture into a small plastic bag. Cut off one corner of the bag, and pipe as much filling into the pocket in each slice of bread as will fit without overflowing.
• Whisk together the eggs, milk, and vanilla in a shallow bowl. Melt butter with oil over medium heat in a large nonstick skillet. Dip each stuffed piece of bread into the batter, add to the skillet, and cook until browned on both sides. Serve hot with the warm peach sauce.