This pair of French toast varieties offers a flirty twist on a basic recipe and strikes just the right balance between sweet and savory. If you make BOTH the Sweet Sausage and Sweet Almond Paste varieties, note that you will need to double the Basic French Toast ingredients.
Make this decadent entree as part of a full meal with Beet, Orange & Watercress Salad and Bonnes Bouchée au Chocolat, also found in You’re Invited. To really ‘Breit-en things up, decorate your table with Daisy Pomanders.
8 large eggs
1 cup milk
16 slices firm bread (white, cinnamon-raisin, or challah)
1/4 cup unsalted butter
Confectioners’ sugar, for sprinkling
Fresh strawberries and raspberries, for garnish
Warm maple or fruit syrup
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
12 ounces sweet Italian sausage links
1 cup coarsely grated mozzarella
1. In a large skillet, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat. Prick the sausage with a fork and place in the skillet. Cook, turning frequently, until golden. Remove the sausage and drain on paper towels. Cut the sausage crosswise into thin slices.
2. Lay 8 bread slices on a work surface and top each with cooked sausage and cheese. Cover with the remaining slices to form sandwiches, pressing together gently.
3. Proceed as in Basic French Toast, below.
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
2 tablespoons almond paste, crumbled
1 teaspoon vanilla
1. In the large bowl of an electric mixer at medium speed, beat the cream cheese with the almond paste and vanilla until the mixture is smooth. Spread the cream cheese mixture on 1 side of each bread slice. Gently press 2 slices together, with the filling on the inside, to form a sandwich.
2. Proceed as in Basic French Toast, below.
1. In a large wide-mouth bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk. In 1 or 2 large skillets, melt the butter over medium heat.
2. Dip each slice of bread or one of the sandwich varieties above in the egg mixture, turning to coat evenly. You will have to work in batches. Place the egg-soaked bread in each skillet. Cook, turning once, until the bread is rich golden brown. Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar and garnish with fruit. Serve with syrup.
Courtesy of Mary Engelbreit’s You’re Invited Cookbook
