Ditch your Sunday brunch reservation at that fancy bistro and whip up a batch of this delectable dish. It is sweet but not too sweet, rich but not too rich, hearty but not too heavy and it has the capacity to make your entire day. Pick up a fresh loaf of Italian bread (unsliced) at your grocery store, along with a few simple ingredients and you're on your way to homemade brunch bliss.
Lemon Ricotta Blueberry Stuffed French Toast
1 loaf Italian bread, unsliced 1 cup ricotta cheese 1 lemon, zested 1 tablespoon sugar 1 cup blueberries 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg 3 eggs 2/3 cup milk 1 teaspoon sugar
Directions In a small mixing bowl, stir ricotta, lemon zest, sugar, half the blueberries and nutmeg together. Add the juice from half of the lemon and stir to incorporate, then set aside. Slice loaf into two-inch slices, then saw a pocket down the middle of the top of each slice to contain the filling. Whisk the eggs, milk and teaspoon of sugar together and pour into a shallow baking dish. Preheat a griddle to 375 degrees. Add two spoonfuls of ricotta mixture into the pocket of each slice of bread, then dredge the bread in the egg mixture on each side before placing on the hot griddle. (A pat of butter melted first makes it divine.) Cook until crusty and brown on each side, then transfer to a serving dish and top with fresh berries and syrup. Makes approximately 8 servings.