Yes, I have already started thinking about Valentine’s Day…the sweet part anyway!  Valentine’s Day is about all things sweet.  Even those that shy away from sweets give it a shot on February 14th!  I always think of an indulgent breakfast or bunch as the ultimate way to celebrate Valentine’s Day.  As a lover of all french toast, particularly the stuffed variety, I came up with a combo fit for a sweetheart…raspberry and mascarpone cheese make up the inside and combine perfectly with a hint of almond and some coconut on the outside. With the ingredients ready ahead of time, this decadent Valentine meal won’t take much longer to prepare than your standard breakfast, but will prove so much more appropriate!  If time is super short on the 14th,  you can always postpone preparing this dish until the weekend.  The recipe is for two, but it would be easy enough to increase the ingredients accordingly if you are making a family meal.

For an added show of affection, I cut a heart shape into the bread with a cookie cutter :)

Recipe for Valentine’s Day Raspberry Stuffed French Toast for Two

Ingredients

• 4 slices challah bread, cut to ¾” thickness
• ½ cup mascarpone cheese
• ¼ cup seedless red raspberry jam
• Approx.  ¼ cup sweetened flaked coconut
• 2 eggs, whisked
• ¼ cup milk
• 1/8 tsp almond extract
• Oil as needed
• Butter
• Sliced almonds for garnish
• Fresh raspberries for garnish
• Fresh mint for garnish
• Confectioner’s sugar for garnish

Directions

1. Mix cheese and jam in a small bowl.
2. In a separate shallow dish, beat eggs and stir in milk and almond extract.
3. Spread coconut on a plate.
4. Lightly brown both sides of the bread in the oven.
5. If desired, cut a heart shape with a cookie cutter in two slices of the bread, reserving the hearts.
6. Spread the cheese filling thickly over the solid pieces of the bread and top with the heart cut piece.
7. Heat oil at medium high heat in a frying pan large enough to accommodate the two sandwiches.
8. Dip each sandwich in the egg mixture (let sit in the mixture a few seconds to absorb), coating both sides.  Then coat both sides in the flaked coconut.
9. When oil is hot, add a pat of butter to the pan and fry the sandwich, cooking till hot and lightly brown on both sides – flipping once.
10. Put onto a serving plate and add the reserved heart cutouts, sift with confectioner’s sugar.
11. Garnish as desired with fresh raspberries, sliced almonds, and sprigs of mint.

Serve with champagne and a chocolate?  Just as special served with juice in a ‘fancy’ glass if you are serving to the sweeties under 21!

A photo of valentine raspberry stuffed french toast. Challah bread is filled with mascarpone cheese and raspberries and a hint of almond and coconut is added in this creation fit for a sweetheart.

I hope you will enjoy this valentine raspberry stuffed french toast…on Valentine’s Day…or, any day!

Thank you so much for visiting.

Remember to enjoy the pleasure in simple things, Jackie