Strawberry and Nutella Stuffed French Toast

Every once in a while, I get a hankering for sweets, and it’s like all my boys want to eat – so they’re very happy in times like these! This Strawberry and Nutella Stuffed French Toast was thick, creamy, citrusy, and oozing with strawberry! The filling was made with mascarpone and Nutella, then you’ve got the orange zest that shines through in that thick, golden French toast, then it was topped with some whipped cream! It was so delicious and so balanced! Sweet, savory, zesty, a little crunchy, and creamy! It felt like something you’d get from an upscale breakfast place on a Saturday morning!

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So, what’s the backstory on stuffed French toast? Where does it come from?

French toast is ancient, it dates all the way back to Ancient Rome – NOT France! The dish was called “aliter dulcia,” and it was just like the classic version we know and love today! Literally just bread soaked in milk, egg, and fried! Through the Middle Ages, Europeans were looking for a way to use up stale loaves of bread, reviving the bread with their own versions of this dish and referring to it as “pain perdu” which means “lost bread!”

The French name stuck and this technique spread all throughout Europe, eventually making its way into America! Americans made all sorts of different versions of “pain perdu,” AKA French toast, and eventually, started stuffing them and serving them up as a trendy brunch invention! Pretty interesting stuff! I love that Americans get their hands on ideas and seem to go wild with them. That’s so fun!

Did you know?

Nutella was created by accident after World War II! Cocoa was scarce in Italy and Ferro, which was a small confectionary family, decided to stretch their cocoa with the abundance of hazelnuts that they had growing in their region! Just a touch of sugar, hazelnut, and cocoa transformed into a sweet chocolatey sort of paste which paved the way for the Nutella we know today! How wild is that?! Some serious innovation! And I feel like the best things always happen by accident.

What ingredients do I need to make this?

For the filling:

Nutella
Mascarpone Cheese
Strawberries
Powdered Sugar
Salt

For the custard:

Eggs
Half and Half
Vanilla
Orange
Brown Sugar
Cinnamon
Salt

For the Strawberry and Nutella Stuffed French Toast:

Artisan Bread
Strawberries
Whipped Cream
Butter
Powdered Sugar

What equipment do I need to make this?

• Mixing Bowls
• Whisk
• Measuring Cups and Spoons
• Zester
• Cutting Board
• Chef Knife
• Large Skillet
• Spatula
• Shallow Dish

How do I make it?

To make the filling:

To get started on this recipe, first we’ll want to make the filling because that will have to chill in the fridge for a little while. Wash and finely dice the strawberries. Next, in a mixing bowl, add the powdered sugar, salt, and mascarpone and stir to combine.

Fold in the Nutella and stir just slightly. You don’t want to completely mix it, because we want a swirl effect here! Not only does it look pretty, but it allows you to taste all of the flavors on their own a little bit, which is nice! Fold in the strawberries.

Then give everything a gentle stir. Cover and chill for several minutes.

To make the Strawberry and Nutella Stuffed French Toast:

Lay 4 slices out on a plate or cutting board and generously spread the chilled filling over the slices.

Top with the remaining slices of bread and gently press the edges to seal.

Pop those in the refrigerator for several minutes. Doing this stops them from leaking when they’re fried! While those chill, let’s make the custard!

To make the custard:

Wash the orange, dry it off, and zest it. Next, in a large mixing bowl add all custard ingredients and whisk to combine.

Transfer the mixture to a shallow dish, so it’s easier to dip the bread. Now, let’s fry these up!

To fry:

In a large skillet, melt some butter on medium heat. Next, dip the stuffed bread quickly on each side, coating completely, and allowing the excess to drip off. Add it to the hot pan. Fry these one at a time, cooking for a few minutes per side, until nice and golden! Make sure to check the bottoms and adjust the heat as needed, so they don’t burn!

Pro Tips:
Quickly coating the bread in the custard stops it from getting too soggy! And frying the French toast one at a time also gives us room to flip! They’re huge!

To serve:

Wait a few minutes before slicing and serving! This allows the inside to set! Top with more strawberries, powdered sugar, and whipped cream! Enjoy!

Tips:

• The orange zest adds so much to this dish! Don’t skip it! It’s amazing how that flavor shines through! If you don’t have orange, lemon would also be beautiful!
• I like to top my French toast with powdered sugar by using a fine mesh sieve! This gives a light dusting, similar to how it would be served at a cute little breakfast joint!
• If you don’t have mascarpone, you could do either a cream cheese + heavy cream combo or you could use Neufchâtel, which is slightly sweeter than cream cheese. If you’re using the cream cheese + heavy cream method, just combine 4 oz softened cream cheese and 2 tbsp heavy cream and beat until smooth! This should give about the same flavor that mascarpone would!

Looking for some more bomb breakfast and brunch recipes?

• Everything Omelet
• Cheddar Bagels
• Carrot Crumble Muffins

Need to use up some more strawberries? Check these out!

• Strawberry Mousse
• Strawberry Scone Cookie with Lemon Icing
• Strawberry Compote