Spring Forward

It's that time of year where we SPRING FORWARD.  We lose an hour, but gain light.  I'll take it!  I love this time of year because getting that extra hour of light really makes me happy (cue happy dance).  

Waking up was really tough this morning.  Usually, when it is time to spring forward, I go to sleep an hour earlier to make up for that lost hour.  I don't have to worry about that these days.  Currently, I have no set schedule or obligations for the most part.  Towards the end of this month and next, I have a gig so I will have to regulate my sleep schedule. 

It's a beautiful day out; I can't believe its in the 50s!  A great way to start off springing forward.  I want to venture outside but I have some research that needs to be done.  We have our apprenticeship class this week, so I need to read up on the history of comics and prepare a 10 minute power point presentation.  This apprenticeship is through Frank's work.  We are working with Citizen Schools and teaching middle schoolers about Comics.  I will probably talk more about this in the future.  

On Saturday, I made Stuffed French Toast.  I ranted about this on my last blog entry.  Last year, I made this using Surfa's baguette. This time around, I used the Hokkaido Milk Bread I made on Friday. In retrospect, I probably should have waited until the bread became more stale.  In the end, it still came out yummy.  I also wanted to add that is a rich French Toast, so a little bit goes a long way here.  

At Starling Diner, the French Toast is not fried, rather it is broiled.  They also use a baguette instead of a square loaf of bread.  The baguette is soaked in a crème anglaise. 

What is crème anglaise? Simply put, it is an English cream that is a mixture of sugar, egg yolks, hot milk and vanilla flavor creating a light custard, often used as a dessert cream or sauce or some sort.

The bread can be stuffed with any filling you desire.  I used a mascarpone filling in which I mixed together mascarpone cheese and honey until I got a creamy consistency.   You can also use sugar instead of honey.  A splash of lemon will also give it a little more flavor.  

The bread is soaked in the crème anglaise and I baked it at 450°F turning once for 8 minutes.  I topped it with powdered sugar and served it with fresh whipped cream and strawberries. You can also broil it if you like, but be carefully for broiling can burn easily when you aren't keep an eye on it.  This is why I like to make my fresh whipped cream first and set it in the refrigerator until I am ready to use it. That way, I can watch my french toast cooking and flip it over once, so that both sides get that nice golden brown color.  

STUFFED FRENCH TOAST Print

Yields: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS:

4 thick slices of French bread or baguettes

Choice of Fruits

Crème Anglaise

3 egg yolks

3 tbsp sugar

½ cup milk

½ cup cream

½ tsp vanilla extract

Mascarpone Filling

4 oz mascarpone cheese

1 tsp honey

Fresh Whipped Cream           

1 cup whipping cream

2 tbsp sugar

½ tsp vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

Fresh Whipped Cream:

In a bowl, combine whipping cream, sugar, and vanilla extract.  Using an electric mixer, whip until stiff.  Place in refrigerator until ready to use. 

Making the Crème Anglaise

1. In a bowl, whisk egg yolks and sugar together until the egg mixture is pale yellow and set aside. 

2. In a saucepan, combine milk and cream on medium-low heat just before the point of boiling. 

3. Slowly add the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture, whisking constantly to temper and prevent the eggs from scrambling.  Whisk in vanilla extract.

4. Heat mixture on medium-low and stir constantly until it reaches 156°F-165°F.

5. Strain mixture through a wire mesh to remove and clumps of egg and set aside. 

Making the Mascarpone Filling

6. Whip mascarpone cheese with honey using a spatula until creamed together.

7. Pipe mascarpone filling into bread.  If you are using a baguette, create a hole on side and tunnel through, pipe in filling.  If you are using French Bread, use thick slices and make a slit on top keeping the side edges intact and fill in the middle.  You can also make the slit on the bottom if you like. Basically, you are trying to keep the filling from spilling out while baking them.

*I used Hokkaido Milk Bread and it was rather flavorful; same way I described for filling the French bread.

Bathing the Bread in the Crème Anglaise

8. Soak the bread in the crème anglaise, 30 seconds-1 minute per side.  If you are using slightly stale bread, you will not soak it as long.  If you are using very stale bread, you will soak it for longer. 

*I used pretty fresh bread, so I did not soak it very long.

Plating it up

9.  Place bread on a baking sheet lined with foil and grease lightly. Cook on 450°F for 8 minutes or until golden brown, turning once. 

*You can also broil this, but I tend to burn things on broil, so I like to cook it on 450°F on the top rack.  Watch it carefully. 

10. Serve with powdered sugar, fresh whipped cream, and fruits.  Enjoy!