If you can make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and fry an egg, you already have all the skills needed to make this incredible Christmas morning stuffed French toast.
We start with cinnamon swirl bread and make sandwiches using cream cheese spiked with dried cranberries and crystalized ginger. Dunk the sandwiches in eggs blended with cinnamon and a bit more ginger, then toss them in the pan. But don't forget the maple syrup!
Want to get a jump on this the night before? Prepare the sandwiches up to the step of soaking them in the egg mixture. Refrigerate them until morning, then proceed as directed. You'll have delicious French toast on the table in less time than it takes for the kids to empty their stockings.
Cranberry Cream Cheese Stuffed French Toast
Start to finish: 20 minutes
Servings: 4
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup chopped dried cranberries
2 tablespoons finely chopped crystallized ginger
1 tablespoon honey
8 slices cinnamon swirl bread
4 eggs
2/3 cup fat-free half-and-half
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground dry ginger
Butter, as needed
Maple syrup, to serve
In a small bowl, mix together the cream cheese, cranberries, crystallized ginger and honey. Divide this mixture between 4 slices of the cinnamon swirl bread, spreading to just 1/2 inch from the edge. Top with the remaining 4 slices of bread to make 4 sandwiches.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, cinnamon and dry ginger. Dunk each of the sandwiches into the egg mixture to thoroughly coat and soak them.
In a large skillet over medium heat, melt just enough butter to coat the pan. Working in batches, fry the sandwiches for 4 minutes per side, or until nicely toasted and heated through. Add butter between batches. Serve warm with maple syrup.
Nutrition information per serving: 470 calories; 230 calories from fat (49 percent of total calories); 25 g fat (12 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 230 mg cholesterol; 45 g carbohydrate; 5 g fiber; 21 g sugar; 15 g protein; 440 mg sodium.
Today is Saturday, May 18, the 138th day of 2013. There are 227 days left in the year. 1863 -- 150 years ago: A large variety of children's wagons and gigs have arrived in thecity and are being sold at war prices. 1888 -- 125 years ago: All Rock Island retail houses, with the exception of a clothingstore and a jewelry store, have agreed to early closing hours during the summer months.The store will be closed at 8 p.m. 1913 -- 100 years ago: Baseball enthusiasts in Rock Island are attempting to raise$20,000 to keep the Island City Park open, despite the fact that the city has no franchise inorganized baseball this year. 1938 -- 75 years ago: The organization of a third rural young people's unit will beundertaken tomorrow night at the Milan Presbyterian Church, with Mrs. Mildred K.Wellman, home advisor, and Robert Smith, county farm adviser in charge. 1963 -- 50 years ago: Deere & Co. will begin a "big switch" on its telephone systemMonday morning. The extension numbers of all 1,600 telephones on the firm's EastMoline and Moline exchanges will be changed Monday morning. 1988 -- 25 years ago: East Moline's June Jamboree VI -- Nostalgia Days, will seemlike a '60s revival with the appearance of stars like Bobby Vee, Freddie Cannon, PeterNoone, Turtles, The Grass Roots and Lou Christie. This year's festival has beenexpanded to five days, June 22-26, at the Northeast Park complex.