Recipe - Banana-Stuffed French Toast With Streusel Topping

2 tablespoon Plus One fourth cup (One half stick)
unsalted butter
2 tablespoon Plus One half cup sugar
2 tablespoon Water
2 lg Ripe bananas, peeled, cut
into 1/2inchthick rounds
1 Un cut or sliced up loaf egg bread
(1pound), ends trimmed,
bread cut into 6 slices
(each about 1One half inches
thick)
2 cup Milk (do not use lowfat or
nonfat)
6 lg Eggs
2 One half teaspoon Ground cinnamon
One fourth teaspoon Vanilla extract

TOPPING
1 One half cup Thinly cut or sliced up almonds,
toasted
One fourth cup (packed) golden brown sugar
One fourth cup Quickcooking oats
2 tablespoon All purpose flour
Maple syrup

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add 2
tablespoons sugar and 2 tablespoons water and stir until sugar dissolves.
Continue stirring until mixture is foamy, about 2 minutes. Add bananas;
cook until tender, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Transfer to
small bowl; cool. (Can be prepared 4 hours ahead. Cover and chill.)

Preheat oven to 350øF. Using small sharp knife, cut 2inchlong slit in 1
side of each bread slice, cutting Three fourths of way through bread and creating
pocket that leaves 3 sides of bread intact. Divide banana mixture equally
among pockets in bread. Whisk milk, eggs, One half teaspoon cinnamon, vanilla
and One half cup sugar in large bowl to blend. Pour into large glass baking
dish. Place bread in egg mixture; let soak 10 minutes, turning
occasionally.

Place almonds in shallow bowl. Carefully remove bread from egg mixture and
coat both sides with almonds. Place bread on heavy large baking sheets. Mix
brown sugar, oats, flour and remaining 2 teaspoons cinnamon in medium bowl.
Add remaining One fourth cup butter and rub in, using fingertips, until moist
clumps form. Sprinkle topping over bread.

Bake French toast until topping is golden brown and filling is hot, about
25 minutes. Transfer toast to plates. Serve hot with maple syrup.

Bon App‚tit December 1996

Posted to MMRecipes Digest V4 #167 by Julie Bertholf
jewel1@ix.netcom.com on Jun 30, 1997