Strawberry Stuffed French Toast

This recipe, by Margaret Pache of Mesa, Arizona, was a finalist in the 1997 California Strawberry Festival's Berry Off cooking contest. Follow this link for more information on the festival plus other great strawberry recipes.

Serves 4

1 cup sliced strawberries 1/2 tsp. lemon juice 1/2 tsp. lemon zest 4 T sugar 4 - 1" thick slices of French bread 1 cup low fat milk 2 tsp. vanilla extract 1/4 tsp. baking powder 4 egg whites 2 eggs 3 tsp. butter fresh strawberries strawberry syrup

Pre-heat oven to 400°F. Mix together the 1 cup of strawberries, the lemon juice and zest and 2 T sugar. Set aside. Cut bread slices in half and cut a slit in each slioce to form a pocket. Stuff with strawberries, secure with toothpicks. Place slices in a 13" X 9" greased or buttered baking dish. In a saucepan, combine milk, sugar, vanilla, baking powder and eggs. Mix well. Pour over stuffed bread, turning to coat. Chill for 30-60 minutes, turning bread pieces occasionally. Grease another 13" X 9" inch baking pan. Move bread pieces to this second pan and bake for 3-6 minutes on each side. Serve warm with syrup and additional strawberries.