Almond, Dark Chocolate & Cherry Mascarpone French Toast Bake

French toast on a Monday? I see no problems here.

It’s February, and that is the only excuse we need to indulge in every form of pink food possible for the next two weeks.

In past years, I’ve shared drinks, extra frilly desserts, heart-shaped pizzas, and a few more elegant at-home dinner ideas, but this year I wanted to branch out a bit and give you an extra versatile recipe.

With Valentine’s Day kindly landing on a Friday, we have the perfect opportunity to extend the celebrations over the weekend. I am envisioning an extra-indulgent, Saturday morning Valentine’s brunch that feels just as indulgent to prepare as it is to eat.

This recipe is just that.

Call it baked French toast, strata, bread pudding, or anything you like, really. It comes together in minutes and is decadent without being overly sweet. Can you tell how much I love this recipe?

We layer brioche, almonds, dark chocolate (I mean, it is Valentine’s Day, after all) and a rich, cheesecake-like mixture of mascarpone, amaretto, and black cherries. The cherries really balance out the heaviness of the bake and add both freshness of flavor and a lovely pink hue to this dish.

This recipe is really so simple and customizable. Feel free to substitute white chocolate for dark, hazelnuts for almonds, or fresh raspberries for the cherries.

After the components have been distributed in two even layers, the entire pan is covered with an egg custard mixture, and then it’s time to bake!

After a bit of time in the oven, the custard will be set and the chocolate melted. Serve alongside hot coffee for breakfast or brunch, or with a scoop of ice cream for a cozy at-home dessert!

This is such an improvement on heart-shaped pancakes.

Sincerely,

Pedantic Foodie

---

Almond, Dark Chocolate & Cherry Mascarpone French Toast Bake

serves 6-8

• 8 ounces mascarpone

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar

• 2 tablespoons amaretto

• 1 1/2 cups frozen black cherries, defrosted

• 6 large eggs

• 1 cup whole milk

• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 1 teaspoon almond extract

• 6 cups brioche, cut into 1-inch cubes

• 1/2 cup unsalted almonds, roughly chopped

• 1/2 cup dark chocolate, roughly chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine mascarpone, granulated sugar, and amaretto. Use a handheld electric mixer to beat the mixture on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Reduce speed to low and add cherries. Mix until just combined; set aside.

In a separate bowl, whisk eggs. Mix in milk, cream, and extracts.

Coat a 9x11 baking dish with nonstick spray and lay half of the brioche cubes over the bottom. Sprinkle with half of the almonds and dark chocolate and drizzle with half of the mascarpone and cherry mixture. Repeat each of the layers beginning with the brioche and ending with the remaining mascarpone mixture.

Pour the egg and cream mixture over the pan, pressing the brioche down a bit, if needed, to make sure all the bread is submerged in the “custard” mixture.

Allow the pan to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before baking.

Bake for 40 minutes, or until the mixture has set but is still slightly wobbly and the brioche is deep golden brown.

Serve warm.

Cook’s Note: The bake can be refrigerated and reheated the following day, if desired. Be sure to cover the pan with aluminum foil before warming in a 300 degree oven.

Enjoy!

---

MORE VALENTINE’S DAY INSPIRATION!