Brie Butter-Stuffed French Toast –– two ways!

from cheesemonger Evy, inspired by a breakfast at Grandma’s

Ingredients:

8 slices brioche or 2 small french bread loaves
4oz TCP Brie Butter, at room temp
1 tsp. vanilla extract, divided
½ cup powdered sugar
2 tbsp honey
1 ½  cup blueberries (or 1 cup if making stovetop version)
½ cup granulated sugar, divided
3 eggs
1 cup milk

Prep...
...the filling: Beat together, either by hand or with stand mixer, the Brie Butter, ½ teaspoon vanilla, powdered sugar, and honey.

...the custard batter: whisk milk, eggs, ½ teaspoon vanilla, and ¼ cup granulated sugar in a medium bowl. Make sure it is wide enough to dip the brioche slices in!

...the sauce: combine blueberries and the remaining ¼ cup of sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, and cook until almost all of the blueberries have burst. 

Overnight French Toast Casserole

1. Butter an 8x8in baking dish, and chop the ends of the french bread, if using, so they can fit inside the dish side by side. Carefully slice each loaf at 1 inch intervals most but not all of the way down. 
   
   

2. Using a small spoon, spread each slice of bread with a dollop of the brie filling. Shove a few blueberries in each gap as well, and don’t be afraid to really push them in and get messy with it! 
   
   
   

3. Pour the batter on top making sure to coat every side of the bread. I like to roll the loaves all the way around to ensure an even soak. Cover, and refrigerate overnight (or at least 4 hours) while the liquid is absorbed.
   
   

4. About 30 minutes before baking, preheat your oven to 350º and remove the casserole from the fridge.

5. Bake uncovered for 30-35 minutes, or until golden. Cover with foil, and bake another 5ish minutes or until eggs are cooked and set. 
   

6. Enjoy warm with a healthy scoop of blueberry sauce! 

Quick Stovetop Brioche French Toast

1. Divide the filling equally onto 4 slices of brioche, making sure to spread it almost to the edges but leave a gap so there isn't any oozing. Top with the remaining 4 slices of bread to make sandwiches.
   
   

2. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-low heat until a drop of water sizzles when dripped into the pan. Throw in a bit of butter and swirl it around to evenly coat everything. 

3. Working quickly, dunk a “sandwich” into the batter on each side making sure every bit of the bread has absorbed some liquid. Cook the slice for 3 minutes on each side, covering it with a lid to help with even heating. When finished, repeat this step with the remaining 3 sandwiches.
   
   
   

4. If you couldn't already guess, enjoy warm with a healthy scoop of blueberry sauce!