Jam Stuffed French Toast

Growing up I used to collect these tiny little jam jars from our flights and over the years I’ve taken those jars and made them into candle holders. The jam I’m talking about is Bonne Maman, a French preserve range made with all natural ingredients with no artificial colouring, additives or preservatives. My earliest memories with this brand is as a four or five year old kid travelling in business class  ( my parents worked in the airline industry and I grew up in a lucky era when kids of airline employees were allowed in business and first with no qualms!) and “stealing” the cute tiny jars. The red and white checkered lids will always remind me of my childhood adventures. Last week I was invited by fellow travel addict, Solmaz from The Curious Creature, to attend a Bonne Maman brunch at the gorgeous Collete. You KNOW I jumped at the chance to enjoy brunch without having to deal with any tots!

My brunch was decadent to say the least. Chef Michael had us drooling when he and his team brought out dish after dish. The sweet and savoury combos were just up my alley and I was truly amazed by how much one can do with jams and jellies. It’s not just for your toast peeps! The special menu featured Dulce de Leche stuffed Croissants (SERIOUSLY AH-MAZING), Cherry preserve Danish, Buckwheat Pancakes with Chestnut Preserve and Bacon AND my all time fave Brioche French Toast with Red Currant Jelly and seared Foie Gras. All the jellies and jams were of course from the Bonne Maman range.

The next day  those croissants and French Toast were still on my mind and I knew I HAD to try making them at home with Little Monkey. I’m here to tell you once again that I’m a horrible baker and so it should come as no surprise that despite cutting corners and using the fool proof ready made croissant dough, our Bonne Maman Dulce de Leche Croissants didn’t really fluff up nice and pretty. Little Monkey was quite sad when she saw the version we made BUT she had a smile on her face once she tasted them (phew!).

What did turn out well was our French Toast. I decided that Sunday was a breakfast for dinner kinda night and so that’s just what we had! Everyone has their own little French Toast recipes and I tend to use a very simple one. It’s fool proof you see. We grabbed a large loaf of French Bread and the hubs cut up thick slices ( about 1 inch in width). I then cut a slit half way and stuffed some with Bonne Maman Cherry Preserve and then dunked them in a mixture of eggs and milk . We used 4 eggs and 1.5 cups of milk for 6 large slices but also added a teaspoon of vanilla essence and two tablespoons of  Bonne Maman Dulce de Leche. Using a fork I beat the mixture well and ensured that the Dulce de Leche was well blended. I found that this gave the French Toast a hint of sweetness. While mine was stuffed with sweet jelly, the hubs preferred his with just the Dulce de Leche (as did the kids). Once the slices were soaked (even the ones stuffed with jellies and jams) I slid them onto a hot pan and flipped sides after 30 seconds. Covering the pan with a lid ensures that the thick slices cooked well –  you may need about 3-4 minutes depending on thickness and batter consistency.

Given my love for sweet and savoury combinations we paired our French Toast with grilled sausages that were sautéed in onions. Dusting some icing sugar and drizzling the toast with some Bonne Maman Dulce de Leche (I warmed 3 tablespoons over boiling water) gave the dish the perfect finish. This is one recipe I plan to bring out during the Christmas holidays. It’s easy to make and a sure crowd pleaser. One even I can make! I’ll have to try making some maple glazed bacon to pair with our French Toast the next time. Guess my cooking mojo is coming back peeps…ever so slowly!

What’s your favourite way to enjoy jam? Here’s some inspiration if you’re looking for other ways to incorporate jams and jellies into your everyday cooking!