Cream Cheese Stuffed French Toast with Pocket-Cut Brioche

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Thick slabs of brioche get a hidden pocket cut into the crust, piped full of sweetened vanilla cream cheese, then dipped in a cinnamon custard and griddled in butter until the outside is crackly-crisp and the middle turns into warm cheesecake. The pocket trick is the whole point: no filling squeezing out, no soggy seam, just a clean molten center every time.

Ingredients

• 1 loaf unsliced brioche or challah (about 1 lb)

• 8 oz full-fat block cream cheese, softened
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 pinch kosher salt
• 1 tbsp sour cream or heavy cream

• 4 large eggs
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 2 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt

• 4 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 cups strawberries, hulled and sliced (or mixed berries)
• 1 tbsp granulated sugar
• maple syrup, for serving
• powdered sugar, for dusting

Instructions

1. Cut the brioche into 4 slices, each a full 1 1/2 inches thick (a serrated knife and a sawing motion works best). Trim nothing — you need the crust intact to hold the pocket.
2. Lay a slice flat and insert a paring knife into the bottom crust, right in the center of the slice. Keeping the entry slit no wider than 2 inches, sweep the blade side to side inside the bread to hollow out a wide pocket, stopping about 1/2 inch shy of the top and side crusts. Repeat with all 4 slices. Save the entry slit narrow: that's what keeps the filling in.
3. Make the filling: beat the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, salt, and sour cream with a hand mixer or sturdy spoon for 1 to 2 minutes until completely smooth and pipeable. Scrape it into a zip-top bag and snip a 3/4-inch opening off one corner.
4. Pipe about 1/4 of the filling deep into each pocket, filling from the far end back toward the slit so it spreads evenly. Press gently on the outside of the slice to distribute the filling into an even layer, then pinch the slit closed. Set the stuffed slices on a plate and chill for 10 minutes so the filling firms up.
5. Toss the sliced strawberries with 1 tablespoon granulated sugar in a bowl and set aside to macerate while you cook.
6. Whisk the eggs, milk, granulated sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt in a wide shallow dish until no streaks of egg white remain — about 30 seconds of hard whisking.
7. Heat a large nonstick or cast-iron skillet or griddle over medium-low heat and melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Medium-low is deliberate: the bread is thick and needs time for the center to heat through without the crust burning.
8. Dip one stuffed slice into the custard for 15 seconds per side, pressing lightly so the bread drinks it in, then lift and let the excess drip off for a few seconds. Do not soak longer or the pocket seam will weaken.
9. Griddle 2 slices at a time for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until deeply golden and crisp. Then stand each slice on its cut edges for 20 to 30 seconds per edge to seal and brown the seam. Transfer to a wire rack set over a sheet pan.
10. Wipe the pan, add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, and repeat with the last 2 slices. If the centers still feel cool, slide the whole rack into a 350°F oven for 4 to 5 minutes to finish — the filling should be soft and warm, not runny.
11. Cut each slice in half on the diagonal to show the filling, dust with powdered sugar, spoon over the macerated strawberries and their juice, and pass warm maple syrup at the table.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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