Stuffed Croissant French Toast with Almond Crust

I love going out for brunch – it’s probably my favorite thing to do on a Sunday. As my boyfriend and I live in New York we are privileged to have so many amazing places we can go and enjoy amazing yummy indulgences. In the city every neighborhood has a great place to go and visit for breakfast. Some are very well known and even have cookbooks of their own and you can try making their recipes at home. Others are smaller local gems with loyal customers and wonderful atmospheres. As much as we enjoy going out and trying new place sometimes being lazy and having breakfast in your pajamas is better. On a cold day or after a long week sometimes I just want to make something yummy and simple at home.
I came up with this recipe because it is easy and an upgrade on a classic brunch treat. It’s very versatile, simple, and quick. You can easily change the fillings and sauces to fit your tastes or to use ingredients you have in your cupboard. I would suggest Nutella and banana, cherry and chocolate, or mango and coconut and you can dust the french toast with all different kinds of nuts. I decided to use a mixture of strawberry and cherry jam because I had it on hand but don’t be afraid to get creative.

6 Croissants
Jam (I used strawberry and cherry)
100g Almonds
6 eggs
1 tbsp Double Cream
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
Butter
Optional Extra:
300g Strawberries
150g Sugar

1. Make a pocket in the croissant lengthways, being careful not to slice all the way through.
2. Stuff the croissant with any jam you fancy.
3. In a large bowl whisk together the eggs, cream, and vanilla extract. Place your croissants into the mixture one at a time. Leave each croissant in the mixture for a few minutes so that it starts to soak it up.
4. In a blender or by hand crush up the almonds into very fine pieces, almost like a dust.
5. Cover the edges of the croissant with almonds.
6. Heat a pan with some butter and place the croissant into the pan. Cook on each side for about a minute or until golden and crisp.
7. Serve with fresh fruit and whipped cream, or strawberry sauce.

For the Sauce:
1. In a saucepan combine the strawberries and sugar.
2. On a low heat simmer the strawberries down until they start to fall apart and get saucy being careful not to burn the sugar or let it bubble over.
3. Done! Pour over your french toast and enjoy. Any left overs are great on ice cream or yoghurt.