French toast with strawberry-blueberry filling

Ingredients:

French toast

• 1 challah, cut into 6 4cm thick slices
• 220 g cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup strawberry jam, recipe below
• 0.5 tsp lemon zest
• 0.5 cup fresh blueberries + extra for serving
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted, + 2 tbsp oil
• 1 tbsp. l. brown sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1.5 tsp ground cinnamon
• 3 large eggs
• Powdered sugar, for dusting
• Maple syrup, for serving

Strawberry jam

• 3 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and chopped (about 1 lb.)
• 1 cup of sugar
• Juice of 1 medium lemon (about 2-3 tbsp)

Preparation:

1. Using a small knife, cut a slit in the side of each slice of bread to create a pocket that can be filled with fruit filling.
2. In a small bowl, combine softened cream cheese, strawberry jam, and lemon zest. Stir in the blueberries. Place the filling in a zip-lock bag. When you're ready to fill the bread, snip off a corner of the bag and pipe the filling into the bag.
3. In a baking dish, combine milk, 1 tablespoon melted butter, brown sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and eggs. In a large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Fill each slice of bread with about 2 tablespoons of filling. Dip the filled slices in the milk-egg mixture for about 10 seconds on each side.
4. Then transfer them to the pan and fry them a few at a time until golden brown, 4-5 minutes per side. If you're making a large batch, transfer the finished French toast to a baking sheet and bake in the oven at 90°C (195°F) while you fry the remaining French toast. Repeat with the remaining French toast. Serve warm with berries, powdered sugar, and maple syrup.
   
   Strawberry jam:
   
   Combine the strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat and stir frequently until the berries release their juices and thicken, 5-10 minutes.
5. Fill a large bowl with ice and a small amount of water. Use a smaller bowl that fits inside the larger bowl of ice. Once the jam is ready, transfer it to the smaller bowl and place it in the ice bath to cool. The cooled jam should become gel-like.