Ingredients
Strawberry Topping
2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
2 tablespoons sugar (use less if your berries are very sweet)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Filling
1/2 cup mascarpone, at room temperature
1 tablespoon heavy cream
1 tablespoon orange zest
1 tablespoon sugar
1 oz semisweet chocolate
French Toast
4 slices day-old challah bread, each about 3/4-inch thick
1 large egg
3/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
Preparation
Topping Combine the berries, sugar and lemon juice in a medium bowl then cover and let macerate at room temperature for 1 hour.
Filling Add the chocolate to a small microwave-safe bowl and heat in 30 second bursts on 50% power, stirring in between, until melted and smooth. Set aside to cool. Combine the mascarpone, heavy cream, orange zest and sugar in a small bowl. Add the cooled chocolate and stir to incorporate.
Bread Take one slice of bread and turn it so the bottom edge is facing up at you. Cut a pocket with a sharp knife, leaving the edges and top of the bread intact. Repeat with each slice of bread, then fill each pocket with about 1/4 of the filling mixture. (You could probably stretch the filling for 5 or 6 pieces of bread if you wanted.)
Set a large skillet over medium heat. In a wide, shallow bowl, whisk the egg and milk together. Whisk in the melted butter and vanilla then the flour and salt, mixing until smooth. One at a time, add the filled slices of bread to the mixture and soak for about 30 seconds per side. Let the excess drip off, then transfer to a plate. Repeat for all slices of bread.
Spray the heated pan with nonstick cooking spray (you could also use butter if you want). Add the bread to the pan in a single layer and cook until golden and crisp, about 2 minutes per side. Repeat with the remaining slices of bread. Serve with powdered sugar and strawberry topping.
