Peanut Butter + Jelly French Toast

One of my fondest cooking memories is one of the last meals I made while studying abroad in Florence, Italy. At the time, I was living in a three bedroom apartment with five other college students, each of whom had different schedules, cooking methods, and eating habits. For most of the spring, I made meals for myself, usually around 6 pm, and was in bed by 9 or 10 pm–when my roommates were just getting started on dinner. During our last week in Italy, I invited my roommates and friends over for a brunch-themed dinner in the apartment. I love breakfast food, so I figured it would be a breeze to cook everything. Plus, I wanted my friends to be able to customize their own meals. So the main dish became this Peanut Butter + Jelly French Toast. Each person could choose her own filling (peanut butter, Nutella, bananas, honey, etc.) and top with a homemade strawberry sauce, honey, jam, or pancake syrup (no maple syrup in Florence!). The French Toast was a huge hit and a few of my friends still talk about it, eight years later. One of those friends is getting married this weekend and I honor of her and her new life with her soon-to-be-husband, I decided to post up this recipe.

Peanut Butter + Jelly French Toast

(adapted from Better Homes and Gardens “Stuffed French Toast,” BHG.com, 2004)

For French Toast

1 cup peanut butter

1 large loaf of crusty Italian or French bread, cut into 16 ¾-inch slices

4 eggs whites

2 eggs

1 ½ cups milk

Dash of salt

1 tsp vanilla

1–2 Tbsp sugar (optional)

½ tsp cinnamon

Unsalted butter

For Topping

1 cup jam, jelly, or spreadable fruit in flavor of choice

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 200°F. Spread 2 Tbsp of peanut butter on eight of the bread slices. Top each with a plain slice of bread to create sandwiches.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg whites and eggs until combined, gradually adding in milk. Add in salt, vanilla, sugar (if using), and cinnamon and stir to combine.
3. Heat about 1 tsp of butter on a griddle or skillet over medium heat until butter bubbles. Dip both sides of a sandwich in the egg mixture. Cook sandwich on each side until golden brown, turning as necessary so that the peanut butter gets heated and melts slightly. Transfer to baking sheet and put into oven to keep warm. Transfer half the egg mixture to a shallow baking dish. Set remainder aside in case more is needed later. Repeat with remaining sandwiches.
4. Meanwhile, heat jam in small saucepan over medium low heat until melted, stirring occasionally to smooth and prevent burning. Pour into small bowl or syrup pourer for serving.
5. To serve, cut each sandwich in half, allowing peanut butter to ooze out, and top with melted jam. Also try other toppings, such as maple syrup, melted chocolate, warm honey, or make your own fruit sauce. Other ideas for fillings include cream cheese with fresh fruit, Nutella, or other nut butters.