Apple Cream Cheese-stuffed French Toast

Total Time: 1 hr Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 4 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 5 baking apples, about 2 1/4 pounds (peeled, cored and cut into 1/8- to 1/4-inch thick slices)
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 cup whole milk
• 4 large eggs
• 1 loaf brioche bread or 1 loaf soft french bread, cut into eight 3/4-inch thick slices
• 1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans, plus more for garnish
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Recipe

• 1 in medium bowl, stir together cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, 1/2 t cinnamon and the ginger until combined well; set aside.
• 2 in large bowl, toss together apples, granulated sugar and 1 t cinnamon.
• 3 in a large nonstick skillet, melt 4 t butter over high heat.
• 4 add apple mixture and cook, stirring occasionally, until just softened, about 8 minutes.
• 5 remove from heat.
• 6 in a 13-by-9-inch shallow dish, whisk together milk, eggs, and remaining 1/2 t cinnamon; set aside.
• 7 spread a heaping 1/4 cup cream-cheese mixture onto each of 4 bread slices.
• 8 top each with 2 t nuts and 6-8 apple slices.
• 9 cover with remaining 4 bread slices to make sandwiches.
• 10 soak 2 sandwiches at a time in milk-egg mixture 5 minutes per side.
• 11 add maple syrup to remaining apples in skillet and stir to combine.
• 12 heat a griddle or large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
• 13 add 1 t oil and 1 t butter to pan.
• 14 add 2 sandwiches and cook, turning once, until golden brown, 6-8 minutes.
• 15 repeat with remaining 1 t oil, 1 t butter and the sandwiches.
• 16 cut sandwiches in half and serve immediately topped with apples in syrup.
• 17 garnish with toasted nuts, if desired.