I really wanted this to be Meyer lemon cheesecake-stuffed French toast since it’s winter citrus season and all. But sadly, there were no Meyer lemons at the grocery store when I went.
So this is just regular lemon cheesecake-stuffed French toast. And it’s still insanely delicious. Like, why have I not been making French toast every weekend kind of delicious. So just pretend these are Meyer lemons or maybe you can find some Meyer lemons and make it for me??
My real reason for making French toast was because I had this loaf of brioche from Trader Joe’s in the freezer and every time we opened said freezer, the loaf would fall out and land directly on our feet. We have since reorganized and cleaned the entire freezer, BUT I have no regrets because this French toast turned out amazingly and was super fun to make!
I know it’s Tuesday (maybe I’m already thinking about the weekend again??), but French toast is such a luxury when it comes to breakfast and weekend brunch. Maybe it’s just because I haven’t been to a brunch in so long??? Either way, I’m glad my eyes have been re-opened to all the comfort and delight that comes with a plate of French toast fresh off the skillet.
About this recipe:
Bread: You can use any bread you like for stuffed French toast! Because the loaf of brioche I had was already cut into think slices, I used a serrated knife to cut a “pocket” into the slices. You want to cut into the top of the slice and almost all the way through, but not actually through the bottom. If you have thinly sliced sandwich bread, you can just use two pieces with the filling sandwiched between them.
Filling: this filling has four simple ingredients—cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and lemon juice/zest. Once prepared, I used a piping bag to pipe the filling into each slice of bread. You can also make it the day before and keep it in a sealed container in the fridge!
Egg mixture: For this all you need are eggs and milk! I added a little more lemon zest for a lil boost. You can also add a dash of ground cardamom if you’re feeling ~fancy~
Toppings: these are all probably obvious, but syrup, powdered sugar, and some extra lemon slices for garnish.
Lemon Cheesecake Stuffed French Toast
Ingredients
Lemon Cheesecake Filling
- 1 8-oz block cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon
French Toast
- 8 slices of brioche thickly sliced *
- 4 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cup milk
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- ½ tsp ground cardamom optional
- 2-3 tbsp butter for the skillet
Toppings
- Maple syrup
- Powdered sugar
- Fruit
- Lemon zest
Instructions
- To make the filling: In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and powdered sugar on medium speed with a hand-held mixer (or in a stand mixer) until creamy and smooth. Add vanilla, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Mix until incorporated. Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- When you’re ready to make the French toast, use a serrated knife to cut a pocket into each slice. Insert the knife into the top of the sliced and cut almost all the way down, but not through the bottom. Transfer filling to a piping bag (or use a knife or spoon) and pipe filling into each slice.
- To make the French toast: In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together eggs and milk. Add lemon zest and ground cardamom; whisk to combine. Pour into a shallow dish.
- Heat 1 tbsp butter over medium heat in a skillet, swirling to coat. One at a time, lay one slice of brioche in the egg mixture and immediately flip to coat the other side. Use a spatula to transfer to the skillet. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until lightly golden brown. Flip and repeat on the other side. Transfer to a plate or cooling rack. Repeat with remaining slices, cooking in batches if you can fit multiples in your skillet.
- You may need to slightly lower the heat and add more butter as you continue cooking.
- Serve with syrup, powdered sugar, and additional fruit if desired.
Notes
Wow!