
Posted 06/20/2019
Day old thin sliced sandwich bread
1 (8 ounce) block cream cheese that is soft
2 cups chopped strawberries
1/4 cup sugar
4-6 eggs
1 cup milk or half and half
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup sugar
cinnamon if desired
splash of orange juice if desired
In a mixing bowl combine the soft cream cheese, chopped strawberries, and 1/4 cup sugar. Mix together until fairly well combined. You can mix this by hand, as it does not need to be perfectly smooth. Don't worry about any small lumps of cream cheese in the mixture. They melt when cooked and become a magical part of the meal. Spread the strawberry and cream cheese mixture on 6 to 8 slices of bread, depending on how much filling you desire, taking it almost to the edge of the bread. Top with another slice of bread. Set aside.
In a large shallow bowl combine the 4-6 eggs (fewer if the eggs are Jumbo, more if the eggs are smaller), milk, vanilla and sugar and a splash of orange juice if desired. Whisk together until the eggs are incorporated.
Dip the filled slices into the batter, starting with the sides to seal in the filling, flipping once so everything is well soaked. Cook on a hot griddle using and oil of your choice, or butter, flipping them one time. 3-5 minutes per side until the french has a rich golden brown color. Serve with a generous dusting of powdered sugar and maple syrup if desired.