Coconut Cream Cheese Stuffed French Toast

As promised, here is my version french toast.

After going out for Thai food awhile back I have been thinking of how to incorporate more coconut milk into my recipes. I will say that I love the stuff, too bad it's so unhealthy!! This is so good though that I am willing to endulge. The french toast is stuffed with a coconut cream cheese mixture and then dipped in a coconut milk and egg mixture. As I thought, the challah bread had the perfect texture and held up well to be filled and dipped in the eggy mixture. I will admitt that I am not a french toast fan, I usually make it for my family and then eat something else, but today I ate several pieces of the custardy bread because it was so darn delicious! If it can make me a believer, it must be good!

Coconut Cream Cheese Stuffed French Toast

7-8 Pieces of challah bread (or other thick, dense bread)
4 oz softened cream cheese
2 Tbs. powdered sugar
1 Tbs. coconut milk ( I used Lite coconut milk)
1 egg
3/4 cup coconut milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. almond extract (optional)
2 Tbs. powdered sugar
4 Tbs. flour
Butter for pan
powdered sugar for dusting

1. Take the challah bread and make a pocket on the bottom using a sharp paring knife. It should be like pitta bread.

2. Mix together the cream cheese, the 2 tbs. powdered sugar and 1 Tbs. coconut milk. Transfer to a plastic baggie and snip of fthe corner. Fill the bread slices until they are full, using a butter knife to spread it around if necessary.

3. In a shallow dish, whisk the egg, the coconut milk, the extracts and the sugar together. When well mixed, slowly add the flour whisking to combine. The mixture should be the consistancy of a thinned out batter.

4. Heat a big skillet over medium heat. Meanwhile, dip the stuffed bread slices in the egg mixture letting them soak for about 30 seconds per side. Brush the heated skillet with butter and add the soaked bread slices. Cook until nicely browned on each side. If they are browning to quickly, turn down the heat a little.

5. Brush the finished french toast with butter and dust with powdered sugar. *I then drizzled mine with some of the cream cheese mixture that I thinned out with more milk (it was delicious!)*