Stuffed French Toast With Cranberry Sauce

Baked french toast filled with orange flavored cream cheese and served with a maple cranberry sauce. Prep time includes refrigeration overnight.

• Ready In: 10 hrs 35 mins
• Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 1 (20 ounce)  loaf uncut  white bread
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese (room temperature)
• 2  tablespoons sugar
• 1  egg yolk
• 1  teaspoon  grated orange zest
• 1  tablespoon  orange juice
• 8  eggs
• 1  egg white
• 1  cup milk
• 1  teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1  tablespoon sugar

• Cranberry Sauce

• 12  ounces fresh cranberries
• 1⁄2 cup maple syrup
• 1⁄2 cup sugar
• 1⁄2 cup  orange juice
• 1  teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Cut 1" from each end of the loaf and discard or use for another recipe.
2. Cut the loaf into 1" thick slices and halve each slice on the diagonal.
3. Cut in the diagonal side of each piece of bread to form a pocket (this is almost like cutting the bread into 1/2" slices except you don't go through any of the other sides of the bread).
4. Mix the cream cheese, 2 tbsp sugar, egg yolk, zest and 1 tbsp orange juice until smooth.
5. Fill each bread pocket with 1 tbsp of the cream cheese mixture.
6. Put bread slices in a 13" x 9" baking dish, overlapping slightly.
7. Whisk the eggs, milk and 1 tsp vanilla until frothy and pour over the bread.
8. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
9. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
10. Sprinkle bread with 1 tbsp sugar.
11. Bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
12. Cranberry Sauce: Combine cranberries, maple syrup, 1/2 c sugar, 1/2 c orange juice and 1 tsp vanilla in a pot.
13. Cook over medium heat stirring as required until cranberries burst and mixture thickens, about 15 minutes.
14. Cool sauce and serve with toast.