This recipe is a terrific breakfast choice for special occasions, holidays or delighting overnight houseguests.
ingredients:
Cream Cheese Filling
- 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 5 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
- 1 large egg
French Toast
- 1 loaf of Texas toast, 8-10 pieces (1-inch thick slices)
- 6 large eggs
- 1 ½ cup milk
- ½ cup heavy cream (makes the recipe creamy and rich; can substitute with 2 tablespoons butter and 6 tablespoons milk)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ground
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg, ground
Streusel Topping
- ⅔ cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ground
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup pecans, chopped, optional
- ⅓ cup butter, softened
Topping Options
- Strawberries, blueberries, blackberries or slices bananas
- Icing or powdered sugar
- Maple syrup
- Chocolate chips
- Whipped cream
directions:
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Prepare a 9x9-inch baking dish lightly coated with cooking spray. If using a larger pan, adjust number of eggs and the amount of cream/milk so there's enough to coat the bread.
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In medium-sized bowl, combine softened cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, egg and flour. Whisk until well blended. Set aside.
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Place slices of bread across the bottom of prepared pan. Use half slices of bread and smaller pieces to fully cover the bottom of the pan. Spread cream cheese mixture on top of this layer of bread. The cream cheese layer will be thick. Place remaining bread slices on top of the cream cheese mixture in pan. Try to overlap the bread in a different pattern for the top layer. Set aside.
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In large mixing bowl, combine eggs, milk, cream, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg. Once mixed, pour slowly over bread and cream cheese. Coat all bread as much as possible. Using a butter knife, adjust and lift bread slightly at the outer edge, to allow egg mixture to flow between bread slices. Cover pan with aluminum foil; refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
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To bake, remove pan from refrigerator and let rest on counter for 30 minutes.
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
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In medium-sized bowl, combine brown sugar, butter, cinnamon and flour. Mix with a fork until crumbly and well combined. Once butter is totally mixed in, add chopped pecans.
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Cover bread in prepared pan with streusel topping.
- Bake 45-60 minutes, until golden brown. A toothpick should come out clean when inserted into center of pan.
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Cut into slices. Enjoy with toppings, if desired.
notes
Use thick, dense bread. Texas toast or French bread hold up better when stuffed with cream cheese filling. Use pan or casserole dish that's at least 2½ inches deep and at least 8x8 inches. Refrigerating overnight allows egg mixture to fully soak into bread, which ensures crisp exterior and soft, custard-like interior.
