Strawberry Shortcake French Toast

I think I've said before that my Brad loves french toast and I love pancakes. On conference weekend (Sunday) Brad had to leave shortly after breakfast to fly out for a business trip back East. I wanted to send him off with a delicious homemade breakfast and so decided to give this recipe a try. We both enjoyed it and so did my neighbors who benefited from the extras we had. The best part, I felt like I had given him a slightly fancier version of his favorite which is what I was aiming for. He left with a happy and full tummy and I was satisfied.

Strawberry Shortcake French Toast
Foodnetwork.com



Directions

Mix 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest with 3 tablespoons sugar; toss about a third of the lemon-sugar with 3 cups halved strawberries. Make the egg mixture for Perfect French Toast (see below); add 4 split English muffins and soak, 5 minutes, then fry and bake as directed. Sandwich some strawberries and more lemon-sugar between the muffin halves. Top with yogurt, more berries and a drizzle of honey.

Perfect French Toast

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Whisk 4 eggs, 1 1/2 cups half-and-half or milk, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon sugar and a pinch of salt in a shallow bowl. Heat 1/2 tablespoon butter in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, dip 6 thick slices white bread, challah or brioche (I used English muffins) in the egg mixture and cook in the skillet until golden, 2 to 3 minutes per side, adding more butter as needed. Transfer to a baking sheet and bake until puffed, 8 to 10 minutes. Meanwhile, melt 4 tablespoons butter in the same skillet until browned, about 5 minutes. Drizzle the French toast with the browned butter and maple syrup.

and a plate for the neighbors