Stuffed Mexican Hot Chocolate French Toast with Cinnamon Whipped Cream and Chocolate-Maple Ganache
- Level: Intermediate
- Yield: 4 servings
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 4 servings
- Calories
- 1534
- Total Fat
- 110
- Saturated Fat
- 54
- Carbohydrates
- 125
- Dietary Fiber
- 7
- Sugar
- 78
- Protein
- 24
- Cholesterol
- 539
- Sodium
- 552
- Total: 1 hr
- Active: 1 hr
Ingredients
Chocolate-Maple Ganache:
6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
6 ounces heavy cream
2 tablespoons maple syrup
Cinnamon Whipped Cream:
1 cup very cold heavy cream
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Stuffed Mexican Hot Chocolate French Toast:
4 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup best-quality Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon pure almond extract
1/2 cup chilled ganache, from above
Eight 1/2-inch slices day-old challah or brioche
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
4 tablespoons canola oil
Directions
- For the ganache: Put the chocolate in a medium bowl. Bring the cream to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat, then pour it over the chocolate and let sit for 1 minute. Add the maple syrup and whisk until smooth. Transfer 1/2 cup of the ganache to a small bowl, and refrigerate for 10 minutes or until slightly chilled but still spreadable. Cover the remaining ganache and reserve in a warm place.
- For the whipped cream: Combine the cream, sugar and cinnamon in a chilled bowl. Using an electric mixer, whip until soft peaks form. Cover the bowl and refrigerate while you make the French toast.
- For the French toast: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Set a baking rack over a baking sheet.
- Whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, sugar, cocoa powder and cinnamon in a large bowl until smooth. Whisk in the milk, cream and vanilla and almond extracts until combined. Transfer the custard mixture to a baking dish.
- Divide the chilled ganache among four slices of the bread and top with the remaining four slices to make four sandwiches. Soak the sandwiches in the custard, two at a time, flipping once, until completely soaked through, about 1 minute per side.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter and 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large nonstick pan over medium heat until beginning to shimmer. Place two of the soaked sandwiches in the pan and cook until browned and crisp on both sides, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer the sandwiches to the baking rack and keep warm in the oven. Repeat with the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and oil and the remaining two sandwiches.
- If the reserved ganache is cool, microwave it for 10 seconds to warm a bit. To serve, quarter the French toasts, drizzle with some of the ganache, and dollop on some of the whipped cream.