Mango Stuffed French Toast and "50 First Dates"

It's the dead of winter here in the Northeast and even the winter lovers like myself wouldn't mind sitting on a tropical beach with nothing but clear waters ahead. Since a tropical vacation isn't in all of our travel plans, the best way I know how to go there is through food. French toast is one of my favorite meals morning, noon, or night and stuffing it with a sweet cream cheese filling and some fresh mangoes was a perfect way to transform this breakfast staple into a tropical treat. What better way to start or end a chilly winter day and let our taste buds take us on a tropical trip. Of course I have a movie that will help make your feel like you're in the tropics as well! 

1 loaf of Italian or French bread (not sliced)

2 fresh Mangoes

8oz of softened Cream cheese

3 Tablespoons of Powdered Sugar

¼ Teaspoon of pure Vanilla extract

3 Eggs

½ cup of half and half

¼ teaspoon of cinnamon

Pinch of fresh nutmeg

3 tablespoons of sugar

4 tablespoons of butter

2 tablespoons of brown sugar

Peel the mangoes and finely dice the flesh of the fruit. You'll want to select Mangoes that have a fruity smell and that have a slight give to them when you gently squeeze them. Don't use color as an indicator of ripeness. Use a vegetable peeler to remove the skin and then use a sharp knife to cut around the Mangoes pit. We'll be using these mangoes to stuff inside the french toast so you'll want to cut them into small pieces.

Next, whip the cream cheese, vanilla, and the powdered sugar together in a mixing bowl. The powdered sugar will help sweeten our filling and the vanilla will add flavor. Reserve about half of one mango and add the rest of the mangoes into the cream cheese mixture. Stir until everything is completely combined and set aside.

 

Using a serrated knife, slice the bread into relatively thick slices. We don't want to make them to thin or else we wont have enough room to add our filling to the bread. Once you've sliced the bread, take a small serrated knife and make a cavity into each slice. Start by cutting from one end to the other as close to the middle as possible but try not to cut all the way through

 

Using a small spoon, take some of the mangoes and cream mixture and fill the inside of each slice of bread. Use about 3 tablespoons or so for each piece but there is no need to be exact. Gently press spread the filling out as best you can and gently press down on each slice of bread. Once you've filled all the slices of bread, set aside for now and prepare the custard we'll use to dip each piece before we grill them.

Combined the eggs, half and half, vanilla, sugar, cinnamon, and the nutmeg in a large shallow dish like a pie plate. Whisk everything together until the eggs are completely beaten and the rest of the ingredients have been incorporated. Preheat a large skillet over medium heat and melt two tablespoons of butter. Dip both sides of each slices of bread quickly in the egg mixture and places onto the preheated skillet.

Cook each side for about 4 to 5 minutes, checking about half way through. We're looking for that perfect golden brown color and that crispy texture. Flip each piece of toast and cook on the opposite side until golden brown. You can keep the french toast warm in a 225 degree oven until you're ready to serve.

To add the final touch to the dish, saute the mango we saved when we made our filling with 2 tablespoons of butter for 5 minutes. Add the brown sugar and stir together until melted. Serve the french toast with a small serving of the mango syrup and a dusting of powdered sugar. Crispy on the outside and a sweet mango cream center, all that's left is pop in the movie and enjoy!

The 2004 romantic comedy "50 First Dates" starring Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore. Sandler plays Henry Roth, a vet who lives in paradise and finds himself romancing a different woman every week. Luckily for Henry, all these women are tourists and he always finds a creative way to ditch them right before they fly home. One morning while grabbing a bite to eat, Henry sees an adorable blonde named Lucy (Barrymore) enjoying her breakfast and he can't help but introduce himself. The two instantly hit it off and agree to meet at the same restaurant the next morning for breakfast. 

Henry returns to the restaurant just as planned and approaches Lucy as she walks in. Trouble is, Lucy has no memory of ever meeting Henry. Henry finds out from the staff at the restaurant that Lucy had a car accident the year before and has lost her short term memory. She wakes up everyday thinking that it's October 13th, the day of her accident. Henry is completely love stricken by Lucy and can't admit that he won't be able to get her to remember him when she wakes up the next day. Henry does everything he can think of to try and get Lucy keep her short term memory so he can finally know how true love feels. Sean Astin, Dan Aykroyd, Blake Clark, and Rob Schneider co-star in this refreshing and heart warming comedy. Here is the link for a preview of "50 First Dates".