Mascarpone and Blackberry Jam French Toast

[caption id="attachment_478" align="alignright" width="244" caption="! CO-1000BB, IT-1023"][/caption] I'm a really big fan of breakfast. Its definitely my favorite meal of the day, whether in the morning, for lunch, dinner, or at 3 in the morning in a diner somewhere in south Philly. Perhaps my favorite breakfast to make (and eat) is French Toast. Here is a simple and delicious recipe that involves stuffing the toast with Mascarpone and Blackberry Jam: Blackberry and Mascarpone French Toast. Serves up to four. Batter: 1/2 cup Milk (whole or skim, preferably Trickling Springs Creamery) 2 large eggs 1tbs vanilla extract Filling: 1/2 cup Blackberry Jam (I prefer Tait Farms) 1/2 cup Mascarpone 1/4 cup Fresh Ricotta Bread: 1 loaf of Challah, Ciabatta or Raisin 1 tbs butter. Directions: 1) Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. In a medium bowl mix together the Mascarpone with the fresh ricotta, making sure that they are mixed thoroughly. Add the Blackberry Jam to the cheese mixture. Give it a taste test. If you want it to be sweeter you can add a small amount of confectioners sugar to the mix. Set aside. 2) For the batter, crack the eggs into a bowl and whisk together. Add your milk and vanilla to the egg mixture and mix. Set aside in the refrigerator. 3) Cut your bread into 1" slices. I use Challah bread because it's naturally sweet and soaks up the batter perfectly. You can substitute any dense bread of your choice. Leftover Panettone is a common substitute. 4) To stuff the toast: On one side of the bread take your knife and make an insertion about halfway through the bread and cut a pocket about 3/4 of the way down the side of the bread. DON'T cut the bread in half or make the pocket to big to make sure the bread will hold its shape and hold in the filling. With a spoon add about a tablespoon and a half of the filling to the inside of the bread. Make sure to push it all the way in there for maximum coverage. Be careful not to over-fill to avoid leaking in the pan. 5) Soak your filled bread in the batter making sure each side soaks for at least 30 seconds to ensure the batter has soaked in properly. Set aside on a plate. 6) Heat a non-stick pan and add butter. Make sure you get the pan nice and hot before adding the toast. After toast is added bring heat down to medium. Cook each side to desired crispness. I like mine crispy so I let it cook for about three minutes on each side. When done, insert your toast (pan and all) into your preheated oven for 5 to 8 minutes to let the insides get all nice and hot. 7) Serve it up with fresh fruit or you favorite breakfast meats. I'm a fan of the Vermont Smoke and Cure bacon. I take more jam and smear it on top of the toast, just to take it that extra mile, but maple syrup will work just fine. You can also mix in some cinnamon and brown sugar with butter to melt over top to add a great spice to it. Any leftover filling can be stored in the freezer for the next time or it makes a great spread on just regular toast in the morning.