Stuffed French toast is Mom's Day brunch treat

If you’re the cook for the Mom’s Day gathering, and also the mom, you’ll want to give yourself a break and make dishes that are both easy and delicious. Today’s stuffed French toast, which is a bread pudding wannabe, is rich with the addition of cream cheese, raisins, and fragrant cinnamon.

Calories? Not to worry. The folks at Cooking Light have made this with reduced-fat cream cheese and also egg substitute. But you can always use real eggs if that’s your preference. Make it ahead to sit in the fridge, then pop it in the oven before serving time.

STUFFED FRENCH TOAST

24 (1-ounce) slices cinnamon-raisin bread

Cooking spray

3 cups 1% low-fat milk

2 cups egg substitute, divided

1 cup half-and-half

1 cup sugar, divided

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 (8-ounce) block fat-free cream cheese, softened

1 (8-ounce) block 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened

Bottled cinnamon-sugar (optional)

Trim crusts from bread. Arrange half the bread in 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Combine milk, 1 1/2 cups egg substitute, half-and-half, and 1/2 cup sugar in large bowl, stirring with whisk. Pour half of milk mixture over bread in dish.
Combine 1/2 cup egg substitute, 1/2 cup sugar, vanilla, nutmeg, and cheeses in food processor or blender; process until smooth. Pour cream cheese mixture over moist bread in dish. Top with remaining bread; pour remaining milk mixture over bread. Cover and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.
Preheat oven to 350° F.
Uncover and bake at 350° F for 55 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar, if desired. Yield: 12 servings (serving size: 1 piece)CALORIES 340 (30% from fat); FAT 11.3g (sat 5.1g,mono 3.3g,poly 0.9g); IRON 3.7mg; CHOLESTEROL 26mg; CALCIUM 197mg; CARBOHYDRATE 43.2g; SODIUM 447mg; PROTEIN 16.7g; FIBER 1.5g

Recipe from Cooking Light, DECEMBER 2001)

Got the blues? Add 'em to bread pudding!

As I walked along Narragansett Bay today, bundled up in a heavy jacket and knit hat, I dreamed of warm beach days, cookouts on the patio, and the fresh fruits of summer. We’ll have to be patient. Not until late summer will we be able to pick fresh blueberries in this neck of the woods. Or seashore as the case may be.

But meanwhile, we have to settle for the supermarket variety, which comes from who-knows-where, to enjoy in a delightful bread pudding that’s made with only two slices of good Italian or French bread. Not the soft puffy stuff you sometimes find in the super, but the real thing with crusty outers and a hearty inner that has some clout. This is my favorite breakfast BP, topped with more of the fresh blues, and of course some whipped cream. If you’re gonna sin, you might as well start early in the day.

If I don’t have any blues on hand, I just toss in whatever fresh fruit’s in the fridge, such as strawberries or raspberries, or blackberries. I suppose you could also use chopped dried fruits such as apricots, cherries, or those things they call Craisins. I’ve never tried dried fruits in this particular BP, but it sounds like a worthwhile experiment, maybe enhanced with a little good-smelling liqueur like kirsch or amaretto.

Mmm, let’s head to the kitchen and slice the bread, then cut it into strips, then crosswise into chunks. Your morning coffee will have a friend it doesn’t want to part with.

A LITTLE BLUEBERRY BREAD PUDDING

2 slices day-old Italian or French bread
1 large egg
1/4 cup heavy cream (or half & half if you’re cutting down)
3 tablespoons whole milk
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Generous dashes nutmeg and cinnamon
1/4 cup fresh blueberries (can use frozen; do not thaw)
A few additional berries to top pudding

Cut bread into 1/2-inch cubes. Place in buttered or cooking-sprayed 2-1/2-cup baking dish. In bowl, whisk together egg, cream, milk, sugar, butter, vanilla, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Stir in blueberries. Pour over bread cubes. Let stand in fridge about 30 minutes. Bake, uncovered, in preheated 350-degree F. oven 30-45 minutes, or until top is golden brown and knife inserted in center comes out clean. Serve warm, topped with whipped cream or topping, and a sprinkling of fresh blueberries. Serves 2.
(Note: make this BP the day before, then nuke until warm when ready to serve.)