July 18, 2013

Peanut butter-stuffed French toast

Add a little peanut butter to your weekend morning French toast?  Why not!

The other night, the boys went camping...right in our own backyard.  Yes, mom (that would be me...) was not a good sport and prefers the comforts of home - particularly during a heatwave - so it was a boys' outing.  By "boys", I mean my husband and our one and only 8-year old (I still can't believe he's 8 already!).  For my part, I thought I'd stick with what I know best and that's provide the meals.  I made French toast for breakfast the next morning and decided to stuff my husband's with peanut butter since I know it's a combination he enjoys. 
As you can imagine, it couldn't be simpler, which made me wonder why I'd never done it at home before.  I suppose it's because I've only started cooking much more regularly in the last couple of years; we ate out and ordered takeout a lot more often.  Though I've barely scratched the surface in terms of learning, it's pretty amazing to think about how far I've personally come (which is to say, probably not very far by most standards - as shown by this simple French toast - but a long way for me).  I love being able to provide my family with basic meals...and desserts.

For this breakfast, I basically took the last French toast recipe I made and instead of banana and nutella, I slathered a combination of creamy and chunky peanut butter onto the bread before proceeding.  It's sort of an ode to something my husband occasionally orders at Hong Kong style cafes - a type of restaurant I have a deep love for (being from Hong Kong and a big fan of cafe culture in general).

When we do visit one of those casual cafes, we order milk teas and enjoy any number of small plates. Once in a while, my husband will order the peanut butter French toast as dessert!  My version here is far lighter compared to the deep-fried square that comes to the table laden with extra butter. (Check out this article to see what I'm talking about.)  Nothing wrong with sharing one of those on the rare occasion but one of the best things about cooking at home is being able to make healthier versions of our favorite restaurant dishes.  
An icy homemade mocha frappucino to go with the French toast
And instead of milk tea, I suggest another frozen beverage to go along with this breakfast.  I've been making those mock mocha fraps almost daily now that summer is here and it's so hot!  We love it, and I can't get over how much money I'm saving (or how much money I used to spend)!

The little guy got plain French toast sticks (he can be such a purist in many way - he is the only kid I know who forgoes toppings at the frozen yogurt shop!) and chocolate milk made with homemade chocolate sauce.  The campers were early risers and hungry after a night in the great suburban outdoors!  I'm told the birds start chirping at 4am.

For this peanut butter stuffed French toast, I used a combination of creamy and chunky peanut butter.  My husband and I both think some crunch from the  chunky peanut butter adds a nice texture to the French toast.

If you're up for it, you can stuff these together with some jelly (I've never been a peanut butter and jelly girl myself though) or add a little honey, banana, or whatever your taste-bud fancies.  I have a feeling you're a lot more creative and adventurous than I am. 

I've made this twice in less than two weeks.  My husband is a little hooked, I think.


Recipe:

Peanut butter-stuffed French toast
Adapted from this recipe from Cooking Light

- Serves 2 - 

2 large eggs
3 tablespoons low-fat milk (I used 1%)
1/2 teaspoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 slices bakery-style thick white bread
3-4 tablespoons creamy or crunchy peanut butter (I used a combination of both)
Canola oil, for cooking 
Powdered sugar, for dusting French toast

Crack the eggs into a shallow rimmed plate.  Lightly beat the eggs with a fork and then gently beat in the milk, sugar, and vanilla extract.

Take two pieces of bread and spread 1-2 tablespoons (or desired amount) of peanut butter over each.  Top each with another slice to make a sandwich.

Heat a couple of teaspoons of canola oil in a non-stick skillet over medium-heat.  Dip the sandwich into the custard, turning it and making sure it's fully coated throughout.  Gently place it into the hot skillet and cook, about 2 minutes on each side, until French toast is golden brown.  Repeat with the other sandwich.  

Slice French toast and dust lightly with powdered sugar before serving.





42 comments:

  1. They grow up quick, don't they? My nephew is turning 11 this year. And I still remember being in the delivery room when he was born. It's amazing how quickly time flies!

    Your french toast looks delicious Monica! The next time I make french toast, I'm going to stuff mine. Thanks for the inspiration! :)

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    1. They really do, Anne! Seems like yesterday I was in Chelsea market in NY and wondering why everyone keeps smiling and talking to me and realizing it was my little infant making eyes at everyone! Before I know it, I'll have a teenager that people will be complaining about instead. Hope not - yikes! : )

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  2. Yum....I make this all the time and they are my hubby's favorite. We first had a PB stuffed French Toast back in Hong Kong in a cafe. It was sooooo good (and it was deep dried instead of pan fried, I guess that added smore yumminess). But I don't like deep frying things at home..So this version is perfect.

    On the other hand, my kids only love Nutella stuffed French Toasts. LOL...so,I always have to stuff different ingredients in a batch. Now, you've got me craving for some PB stuffed ones. I think they are the best!

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    1. Amy - you know what I'm talking about! : ) I was never a fan of those deep fried PB French toasts back in the day...for some reason, I've only gotten to really love PB in the last few years. I just realized it's really fun to stuff your French toast. So easy...perfect for me. : )

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  3. Camping in the backyard sounds like a great idea! Hehe, I'm not much of a camper myself and probably would have done the same as you :) Your boys must have had a great time bonding though and what a great breakfast to wake up to :)
    This looks incredibly delicious Monica! I love PB stuffed French Toast but haven't had one in such a long time. Yours looks perfect and soo good! Now I can make this at home, thank you soooo much for sharing! Hope you have a great weekend :)

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    1. Kelly - I'm just glad the boys made it. It was pretty hot that night (not as hot as it's been this past week or so). I felt bad skipping out on it so maybe in the Fall, I'll hang out with them a bit longer even if I don't sleep out there (because who am I kidding, I don't think I'd make it even out in the yard!)

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  4. I seriously need this for our breakfast! Yum!

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  5. camping in the backyard! i can't wait for that when stella gets a little older...how fun. She's a purist like your little guy - no toppings, just the vanilla, please. she doesn't dip anything, doesn't mix anything together; it muddies the waters, and she likes things segmented. :)
    this looks so good! i know a few big peanut butter-holics that would LIVE for this french toast, for sure; it looks like the perfect amount of peanut butter to bread, and i like that.

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    1. You know Shannon...my son also doesn't like any ketchup, mustard, BBQ sauce, etc. on his hamburgers and whatnot. He is a bit of a purist in a lot of ways. When we bought an ice cream maker, I thought it'd be so fun to add all kinds of crazy things to our ice cream but guess what? He prefers each flavor plain!

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  6. I can only imagine how delicious these are. and your photos are so amazing.

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    1. I am the "blogger" world's worse/laziest photographer, I'm sure...so I appreciate your kind comment. Have a great weekend!

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  7. Yumm! Honestly, I sometimes prefer simplicity over complex & fancy food. And since peanut butter is such a delicious flavor all by itself, I think your recipe is wonderful and perfect (: I might have to give this a try!

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    1. I might like a challenge once in a while but definitely prefer simple recipes for everyday. Anything with a long list of ingredients, for one, usually discourages me.

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  8. Ooh, what a great stuffing for french toast!

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  9. I must admit I got pretty excited with the title of this post - why I've never thought of this is beyond me! I love peanut butter on pancakes so why not french toast? You're such an awesome mom - hope you have a lovely weekend.

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    1. I'm so glad I'm not the only one who's always thinking "why didn't I think of that!" or "why haven't I done that before..."! And you must be a true girl friend, Tricia, to say I'm a good mom even when I readily admit I preferred air conditioning over bonding with the boys in the great outdoors. I figured I'd show my son what it's like to be your genuine self. haha ; )

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  10. You just made the perfect breakfast.. or dinner.. I'll take it anytime of the day! French toast and peanut butter, I don't think I can even talk I'm in so much happiness!

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    1. Pamela - when I stuffed the other one with nutella and banana the other week, it decidedly felt like dessert territory. This PB version is truly perfectly reasonable for any meal of the day. ; )

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  11. Ohh how sweet, camping in the backyard does sound sweet. i am with you on this one, hate going out a lot in this weather...
    This french toast does look good though.

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    1. I so agree with you. The boys need to bond. The little one sees too much of mommy as it is. ; )

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  12. This would make for one killer breakfast! Amazing recipe, Monica!

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    1. Thanks, Georgia. As far as breakfasts go, it's pretty satisfying...

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  13. What a fabulous breakfast! Planning this for tomorrow morning.I seriously can't wait to see how peanut butter taste in French toast.

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    1. Sooo thrilled to hear that. I'm sure it'd taste amazing from your kitchen!

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  14. I wouldn't be so into camping either, but I am totally fine with providing breakfast fare! Peanut butter stuffed sounds SO good!

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    1. Yes...I am more than happy to take on the indoor, domestic responsibilities. : )

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  15. An interesting recipe! Thank you!

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  16. Oooh, this sounds amazing! Adding peanut butter to anything is a good idea :) I can see why your husband has requested this a lot lately, Monica!

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  17. I would also be the party pooper staying inside, but such a cute breakfast for them.

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    1. I'm often the party pooper of the group so I try to make it up with food!

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  18. I'd happily wake up to that breakfast! Beautiful and delicious. I'm a huge peanut butter fan. :)

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    1. PB totally hits the spot for me on many mornings, too, these days...

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  19. My love for french toast is quite outrageous. And i'm sure this is deliciously outrageous too! What's not to love about french toast that is stuffed with peanut butter!!!!!!

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    1. It's simple and really good, practically health food so go for it! : )

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  20. wow this one is nice....
    i love peanut butter so much.. i even have homemade peanut butter so read this... felt happy coz i will have another peanut butter snack tomorrow... or my breakkyyyy....

    thanks so much for sharing this to all...

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