Coconut Cheesecake Stuffed French Toast with Berry Sauce

For the Berry Sauce:

3/4 cup of cold water

1/2 cup of red raspberries

2 1/2 cups of fresh or frozen berry mixture (a mixture of blueberries and raspberries will yield the best results)

2 tablespoons of cornstarch

1/2 cup of granulated sugar

For the French Toast:

1/2 loaf of French bread

4 ounces of cream cheese softened

6 tablespoons of coconut cream

1/4 teaspoon of coconut extract

1/4 cup of powdered sugar

2 eggs

1/3 cup of milk

1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon of salt

1/2 teaspoon of vanilla

additional of powdered sugar for garnish

1. To make the berry sauce, combine the cold water, raspberries, cornstarch, and granulated sugar. Cook over medium heat stirring until the mixture thickens and turns clear. Stir in the additional 2 and ½ cups fresh or frozen berries and cook for an additional minute or two until the berries start to soften.
2. Slice the French bread into six 1 inch slices. Then, using a sharp bread knife, make an additional slice down the middle of each piece, stopping ½ inch from the bottom. Set aside.
3. To make the coconut filling, beat together the cream cheese, coconut cream, coconut extract, and powdered sugar in a medium bowl until smooth. Spread 1-2 tablespoons of the coconut cheesecake mixture in the middle of each piece of bread.
4. Beat the eggs with a whisk and then whisk in the milk, cinnamon, salt and vanilla. Pour the mixture into a pie pan or 9”round cake pan . Heat a greased Circulon® Innovatum™ 3Qt. Sauté Pan or large skillet over medium heat. Dip each piece of bread into the egg mixture for a few seconds, allowing each side to soak up a bit of the egg mixture. Place three pieces of toast in the pan and cook until lightly browned and the center cooked through about 3-4 minutes for each side. Repeat with the remaining three slices.
5. To serve, place each piece of toast on a plate and top with a generous helping of berry sauce. Sprinkle with additional powdered sugar if desired.