Decadent Stuffed French Toast featuring Mermosa Macerated Berries

 

Brunch made SIMPLE with a winner of a recipe from Chef Melanie Cuartelon - Decadent Stuffed French Toast featuring Mermosa Macerated Berries.  It is so easy, so delicious and a crowd pleaser.  Pin this for your next brunch...

Stuffed French Toast with Mermosa Macerated Berries
5-6 servings

by Chef Melanie Cuartelon

1 loaf - Brioche Bread, about 10 - 12 slices
5 Whole Eggs
1 cup Whole Milk
1 TBSP Vanilla Extract
1 TBSP Ground Cinnamon 
Pinch of Salt
1 ½ Cups Your Choice Filling*
Melted Butter or Spray Pan Release
*Nutella, Sweetened Mascarpone or Lemon Curd

Directions

Take two slices of brioche and spread your choice of filling on the inside of each piece and then sandwich together. Repeat with remaining slices of bread. Don’t press down too hard to seal the bread or else your filling will squeeze out!

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, vanilla extract, cinnamon and salt.

Heat griddle or pan up to about medium to medium high.

Take one of your sandwiched brioches and dip one side in the egg mixture, and flip to coat the other side. Make sure to do this step to each french toast right before you put in the pan. If you soak all at once, your french toast will fall apart.

Coat your pan lightly with melted butter or pan spray and sear off one side of the stuffed french toast. Check to see if it gets a nice golden brown color underneath, once achieved, carefully flip the french toast to repeat on the other side. Repeat this with remaining french toast.

For serving, you can either cut in half diagonally or leave it whole so when your guest cut into it, it’ll be a surprise! Top with the Mermosa Macerated Berries (recipe below), whipped cream or syrup.

Mermosa Macerated Berries

About 2 cups
1# strawberries
Pint of blueberries
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 cup Mermosa Wine


Directions:
Dice up strawberries to large chunks and mix with blueberries.
Toss the berries with the granulated sugar, then pour the Mermosa Wine on top and lightly mash your berries, still leaving them relatively whole.
Let sit for about 20 minutes and then serve on top of your Stuffed French Toast!


Sweetened Whipped Cream
About 3 Cups
2 cups Heavy Whipping Cream
4 TBSP Granulated Sugar
1 TBSP Vanilla Extract

Directions: 
Pour all ingredients into a bowl for a stand mixer and turn speed up to about medium speed until you start to see the cream thicken. Will take about 3-4 minutes. Once it starts to thicken up, increase the speed to medium high. Make sure to keep an eye on it, it will quickly thicken up to a stiff peak (hold its shape). Once it reaches that, turn the mixer off. If you let it thicken up too much, you’ll end up with butter!


Dollop onto your French Toast and enjoy!

What a treat to learn from Chef Melanie Cuartelon, Sous Chef at Sawgrass Marriott Resort & Spa.  She is a second generation Filipino American born and raised in North Florida.  Her passion for the kitchen stems from her mother and her grandmother.  Seeing them cook and bring joy to others through food brightened Melanie's eyes, knowing she would be no more than 10 feet away from a kitchen!  Learn more about Chef Mel and her amazing passion for cooking here.
Mermosa, St. Petersburg, Florida
Mermosa is a white bubbly wine, carbonated with a splash of natural orange and pineapple juices.  Mersecco is a white bubbly wine with a crisp refreshing and elegant finish.