overnight lemon cheesecake stuffed french toast
This is one sexy dish. I’d tap that. With a fork. Then shove it down my maw and masticate. Cos that’s how you eat, folks.
I just love this recipe. It’s one of my favorites of the year. Brunch recipes are sometimes hard to nail down because they oft make SO MUCH and I don’t want to waste anything (I don’t have that many friends, ya’ll, so sometimes noshing things that need to be eaten same-day doesn’t work so well). When I developed this French toast, though, I devoted myself to eating a portion for lunch that day. I spent the whole morning just excited out my ass for lunch.
That excitement was not unfounded. This shit is AMAZING. Indulgent and filling but light and springy thanks to the lemony essence infused in every cranny of the toast and its custard.
I’ll actually be out of town for Mother’s Day, so I can’t bake this specifically for mom on the big day, but I did hang over a nice big slab for her to try and had I been around this would’ve certainly been on my to-make list. Usually, we do dinner – I’ll have to scrape up a craving of hers because she’s usually rather passive and won’t tell me what she wants – and I secretly ordered her a little present that she’ll receive on Sunday. I’ll be celebrating my incredible best friend the following Sunday. Can’t wait.
For those of you baking for your mom or mother figure this weekend, I really encourage this Overnight Lemon Cheesecake Stuffed French Toast. A true treat: a tangy lemony cheesecake filling shoved into thick slices of brioche, baked in a egg custard scented with citrus zest. Don’t be intimidated by the prep time – it’s wonderfully easy and most of the total needed minutes involve waiting. The aromas and the finishing taste are well worth it.
The best news with this recipe is you can prep everything the night before and bake the following morning, so no scramble at 7am to have brunch ready in a pinch. While the toasts bake, mix up some cocktails or pour a few mimosas and relax. Or, enjoy first breakfast, and make French toast second breakfast. I’m all about multiple breakfasts on special occasions.
Curd Nerd
A huge inspiration for this recipe was a jar of lemon curd I needed to finish off. I had just enough for the brightly-flavored filling I had in mind.
Whip up the curd with a block of cream cheese and a little sugar. You can up the sweetness by another tablespoon or two if you’d like, but I found 2 tablespoons ample since I jazz up the baked toast with a lot of maple syrup.
Next, grab a big loaf of brioche and slice into thick slabs about 1 1/2 inches in width. Challah is a great option too, but I couldn’t find it at the time and bought a good braided brioche instead. Cut a slit into the top of each slice – photos do a better job of describing my intended image, I’ll fuck up if I try too hard to type directions – and stuff the slices with a couple big spoonfuls of the cheesecake. Press lightly to adhere.
Custard Not Flustered
Prepare the custard filling for the toasties. Simple: eggs, milk, lots of lemon zest, and a slap of vanilla. Whisk it up until nice and smooth.
Grab a 9 x 13 inch baking dish and grease with a little butter. Dip each bread slice into the custard and arrange in the baking dish. You can press them fairly close together, it won’t hurt a thing. If you have custard leftover (you probably will), pour it over the slices. No wastage here.
Cover the dish and chill for 30 minutes. Or, if you’re making the night before, let it hang until the next morning. It tastes even better this way!
When you’re ready to bake, warm the oven to 375. Pop the covered pan and bake for 30 minutes, then pull the foil off (carefully, some of the bread tips may have stuck to the foil) and bake 15-20 minutes longer. I take it out once the slices have a nice little golden tinge.
And now, the best part. EAT IT. EAT IT REAL GOOD.
Go full out here: it’s for mom, after all. I usually whip some cream myself to plop onto my slices, and always a hefty gulp of maple syrup. Fresh strawberries are a perfect fruity accompaniment, or blueberries and raspberries work well too if you have them around.
French toast doesn’t keep very well, which is why I typically reserve it for holidays. The next day after baking it’s not too bad, so if you have a piece left you can warm it gently in the oven at 325 for about 8-10 minutes. I wouldn’t keep it much longer than that.
Give your mom and extra hug today, tomorrow, and the next day. Enjoy your time with her – or him, if dad was also a mom figure. The moments are precious.
Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
Brunch for a bunch:
Baked Biscoff Cookie Butter Doughnuts
Herby Mushroom and Swiss Croissant Breakfast Bake
Cinnamon Sugar Peach Dutch Baby
Herb Garlic Whipped Feta and Smoked Salmon Toasts
overnight lemon cheesecake stuffed french toast
Ingredients
- 1 loaf brioche or challah bread
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup lemon curd
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 2 cups whole milk
- 6 large eggs
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- whipped cream, strawberries, and maple syrup, to top
Instructions
- Lightly grease a 9 x 13 inch casserole dish with butter.
- Slice the loaf of brioche or challah into 1 1/2 inch thick slices. Carefully make a slit in the top of each slice (see photos). The slit should not pass all the way through the bread, but about 1-inch deep.
- In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, lemon curd, and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the filling into each bread slice.
- In a separate bowl, vigorously whisk the milk, eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla extract until thick and creamy. Submerge each bread slice in the custard, then lay in the prepared baking dish. Repeat with remaining bread slices. Pour any leftover custard into the dish.
- Cover and refrigerate the dish for 30 minutes, or up to overnight.
- When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Bake the French toast for 30 minutes covered, then uncover and bake 15-20 minutes longer until the tops are golden brown.
- Serve the French toast with whipped cream, fresh strawberries, and maple syrup, as desired! I recommend ALL THE THINGS FUCK YEAH.
