Vegan rhubarb-stuffed French toast

Before I talk about this fabulous breakfast, let me mention that I deleted my previous Twitter and made a new one. Again. I don’t know, blame it on my anxious obsessiveness about social media and whatnot. It’s really a problem. BUT. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t follow me. Because you should. Yeah, stroke I mean stoke that ego, baby.

Tweets by @JuneBurnsHere

Anyway! So what about this French toast?

Yes, let's talk about it.

Much like studying for finals, this recipe is super labor-intensive. Especially if you do it my way, with homemade challah and everything. It is actually probably the most labor-intensive breakfast I have ever made, with like five billion steps involved

1. Make challah;

2. Cook rhubarb jam;

3. Whip up a cashew cream filling;

4. Crush corn flakes;

5. Blend up the French toast batter;

6. Slice and stuff challah;

7. Dip stuffed bread in batter and cornflakes; and finally

8. Fry to perfection.

Okay, maybe not quite five billion. But still several. It’s a lot of work for just a morning meal.

And yet, it is totally worth it. I am in love with the rhubarb jam, first of all. It almost deserves its own post, it is so sweetly tart and fresh and delicious. But the completed French toast? Holy shit. Mind-blowing. I didn’t do so well when it came to crushing the cornflakes (grinding them in a food processor would probably be better) and the finished product isn’t exactly photogenic, but it is good as hell.

Yeah...“good as hell” is pretty much all I can say. It’s like eating a layer cake of toasty, lightly crunchy bread and creamy, fruity filling. You don’t even need maple syrup for this toast—more rhubarb jam is sufficient.

Here’s the recipe.

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Vegan rhubarb-stuffed French toast

Adapted from Sugar Hero

Ingredients

Rhubarb jam

340 grams • rhubarb, chopped into small chunks • 12 ounces

150 grams • granulated sugar • ¾ cup

4 grams • vanilla extract • 1 teaspoon

10 grams • lemon juice • 2 teaspoons

0.5 grams • cinnamon • ¼ teaspoon

Cream filling

160 grams • cashews, soaked in water for four hours and drained • 1 cup

18 grams • powdered sugar • 2 heaping tablespoons

4 grams • vanilla extract • 1 teaspoon

10 grams • lemon juice • 2 teaspoons

Zest of one lemon

For the French toast

1 gram • cinnamon • ½ teaspoon

184 grams • nondairy milk • ¾ cup

165 grams • silken tofu • ¾ cup

28 grams • light brown sugar • 2 tablespoons

4 grams • vanilla extract • 1 teaspoon

0.5 grams • salt • 1/8 teaspoon

1 loaf of challah (recipe here)

56 grams • cornflakes • 2 cups

Directions

Start by making the rhubarb jam. Place rhubarb, sugar, vanilla, lemon juice, and cinnamon in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the rhubarb releases some juice and the sugar is melted. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes. The jam should have a nice thickened texture, but it will get thicker as it cools.

To make cream filling, place all ingredients under “cream filling” in a food processor and blend until smooth. Add extra lemon juice and powdered sugar to taste.

Once you are ready to make the French toast, place the cinnamon, milk, tofu, brown sugar, and salt in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour batter into a large, shallow bowl and set aside. Also, crush the corn flakes in a plastic bag and pour into another shallow bowl. Set this aside as well.

Cut thick pieces of challah from your loaf—preferably on the stale side, but if it isn’t you can toast the bread lightly. Using a sharp knife, cut a slit in the side of the slice large enough to stick some fillings in there.

Transfer the cream filling and rhubarb jam to separate piping bags with a large tip snipped off. Pipe a bit of each into the slit in the bread—not too much that it overflow, but plenty to fill the bread up. Dip the stuffed slice into the batter, then in the corn flakes.

Fry the French toast on medium heat until golden-brown and crispy on each side. Serve with powdered sugar and more rhubarb jam. Eat immediately.

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Two slices were actually plenty, believe it or not.

I was going to write a really long expose about Kendrick Lamar’s newfound love for Taylor Swift, which is pissing me off, or maybe my misguided opinions on descriptivism vs. prescriptivism in linguistics, or maybe—well I don’t know what, because I forgot since I got distracted I was too busy with stu(dying) I was looking at Twitter for cheesy jokes to steal, etc. etc. Excuses schmexcushes.

While you’re here, check out these other totally rad recipes (is that what the kids are saying these days?).

Peanut butter-stuffed brownie French toast. Like dessert for breakfast.

Pumpkin French toast with pumpkin pie filling. With actual pumpkin-infused bread!

How to make vegan French toast without a recipe. So easy you have no excuse not to try it.