Nicole’s Stuffed French Toast with Orange-Pecan Filling

If you check the dictionary definition of “decadence,” this is what you’ll find. Brunch, anyone?

Nicole’s Stuffed French Roast with Orange-Pecan Filling:

8 slices French bread (see Note), each sliced 2-½ in. (6.3 cm) thick

4 oz. (125 g) cream cheese, softened

¼ c. (60 mL) chopped pecans

3 tbsp. (45 mL) orange marmalade or apricot jam

3 eggs

2 tbsp. (30 mL) granulated sugar

½ tsp. (2.5 mL) finely grated orange zest

½ c. (125 mL) orange juice

1 tsp. (5 mL) vanilla

2 tbsp. (30 mL) butter or margarine, melted

Icing sugar (“confectioners” or “powdered” sugar), as required

Preheat oven to 475 deg. F. Starting at the edge of each thick piece of bread, use a serrated knife to cut a “pocket” midway into the slice. Combine cream cheese, pecans, and marmalade or jam. Carefully open the bread pocket of each thick slice, spreading ⅛ of cream cheese mixture into it. In a medium bowl, combine eggs, sugar, zest, orange juice, and vanilla with a whisk or hand blender. Pour into pie pan and dip both sides of bread into mixture.

Brush melted butter onto 9 x13-in. (23 x 33 cm) baking pan. Transfer dipped bread slices to pan and bake 6 min. Turn over and bake a further 4 min., until golden. Dust with sifted icing sugar. Serve hot with maple syrup and (optional) bacon and sausages.

Note: Use a thick baguette, not a thin one.

Make-Ahead Note: This dish freezes well. Lay stuffed, dipped bread slices on parchment-lined cookie sheet in the freezer for 2 hr. Transfer to labeled, covered plastic container to continue freezing up to one month.