Strawberry Stuffed French Toast

This was a great breakfast treat this weekend.   Experiment with the amount of cream cheese and strawberries, tailored to what you like best.  Same recipe can be used with any of your favorite fruit. 

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 12 slices  bread
• 1 cup fresh strawberries, minced.
• Butter or oil for cooking
• Strawberry Syrup, Powdered sugar or whipped cream to garnish

Directions

1. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk.
2. Spread the cream cheese on half of the bread slices and top with strawberries. 
3. Top with the remaining 6 bread slices to make a sandwich.
4. Press down to make a tight seal.
5. Melt butter or oil on a griddle or skillet  over medium-low heat.
6. Dip the sandwiches in the egg mixture , coating all sides. 
7. Place sandwich on the griddle and cook  until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side. 
8. Serve with strawberry syrup,  dusted with confectioners' sugar or pipe with whipped cream.

Strawberry Syrup:

• 1 cups sliced strawberries
• 1/4 cup cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp. fresh  lemon juice 1 tsp. lemon zest

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, combine all the ingredients and bring to a boil. 
2. Lower the heat and simmer until the strawberries are soft and the syrup is thickened and reduced by half, about  10 minutes. Use a stick blender to smooth to desired consistency.