This sinful marzipan-stuffed French toast is an almond lover’s delight, with two thick slices of buttery brioche with a layer of creamy almond spread in between.
Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutesminutes
Cook Time: 15 minutesminutes
Total Time: 30 minutesminutes
Ingredients
8thick slices brioche bread
½cup/ 50gsliced almonds
For Filling:
5oz/ 150galmond paste, broken into pieces
1tablespoon/ 14gbutter
pinchsalt
1large egg, lightly beaten
For French Toast:
3large eggs
¾cup/ 180gwhole milk
butter, as needed for cooking
confectioners’ sugar, optional, for topping
maple syrup, optional, for topping
Instructions
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Arrange bread slices on a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake for 5 minutes or until bread is slightly dried out and toasted, but not yet starting to brown. If your bread is somewhat old and already dried out a bit you can skip this step.
Spread almonds in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 3 to 5 minutes or until toasty and just starting to brown. Set aside.
Place almond paste and butter in a microwave-safe mixing bowl. Soften in the microwave in a few short bursts (you don't want to melt the butter, just soften it). Use a stiff spatula or wooden spoon to mix by hand until evenly incorporated (you can also do this in a stand mixer or food processor if you want). Mix in salt. Add lightly beaten egg and mix until it forms a smooth, spreadable paste.
Preheat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.
Smear 1/4 of almond paste mixture onto four slices of bread, spreading into an even layer. Top with another piece of bread to form a sandwich, and press lightly to adhere.
Whisk together eggs and milk. Pour into a shallow baking dish (a small-ish casserole dish is usually perfect for this).
Dip assembled sandwiches into batter, letting one side soak for 5 to 10 seconds then flip and soak the other side. If your skillet can only fit 2 sandwiches at a time, wait to dip the remaining 2 until just before you cook them.
Rub skillet with butter (you don't need a lot, just a thin layer to prevent sticking). Place batter-soaked sandwiches into hot skillet, leaving enough space between them so they can still be easily flipped.
Cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side or until golden brown, then flip and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more. Transfer to a baking sheet and then repeat with remaining slices.
Once all slices are cooked, place baking pan in the oven (still set to 300 degrees F) for 5 to 10 minutes or until heated through.
Transfer to serving plates. Sprinkle with toasted almonds, dust with powdered sugar, and drizzle with maple syrup as desired.