Mary Beth Tanner, owner of Cedar House Inn and Yurts, cooks this breakfast for guests when Georgia peaches are at their best and her wild blackberries are ripe and bursting with flavor.
Peach Melba-Stuffed French Toast
Serves 4
For stuffed french toast:
2 to 3 ripe peaches, sliced
1 teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon sugar
4 eggs
1/2 cup milk or half-and-half
1 teaspoon vanilla
8 slices day-old French bread (3/4-inch thick)
4 ounces cream cheese, cut into 8 slices
For berry syrup:
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup water
1 to 1-1/2 cups fresh blackberries
or raspberries
1 tablespoon butter
powdered sugar (for garnish)
4 mint sprigs (for garnish)
To make Berry Syrup:
1. In small saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch with whisk. Stir in water and bring to a boil. Boil 3 minutes.
2. Add berries. Cook, stirring frequently, until berries burst and color the syrup.
3. Add butter and continue cooking until it’s melted and berries have fallen apart. Keep warm until ready to serve.
To make Stuffed French Toast:
1. Sprinkle peach slices with 1 teaspoon sugar and let sit.
2. In a shallow bowl, combine eggs, milk, vanilla and 1 tablespoon sugar. Dip bread slices in egg mixture for about 5 seconds on each side. (Depending on the bread’s dryness, you may need to add more egg or milk.) Cook over medium heat on a hot skillet sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. (For added flavor, melt butter on the skillet.)
3. Cook until bread is browned on one side, then turn over. Cover the top of 4 browned pieces with peaches and 2 slices of cream cheese each. Top this with another slice of bread, browned side inside. Flip the whole stuffed toast once to warm cream cheese.
4. Slice the Stuffed French Toast diagonally and top with Berry Syrup. Garnish with powdered sugar and mint sprig.