Croissant French toast with lemon Mascarpone cheese - two ways
Croissant French toast with lemon Mascarpone cheese - treat yourself to this scrumptious breakfast on a lazy weekend morning, and be sure to try both the savory and sweet version.
Ingredients
- 4 eggs
- 1/4 cup milk
- 4 regular size croissants (a few days old), split in half
- 1-2 tbs grapeseed oil
- smoked salmon, or trout
- mascarpone cheese filling (sweet or savory), recipe follows
- raspberry jam, recipe follows
For the homemade mascarpone cheese:
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1 Tbs fresh lemon juice
For the sweet mascarpone filling:
- 1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
- 1 Tbs honey
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- zest of 2 lemons
For the savory mascarpone filling:
- 1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2-3 Tbs chopped chives, and/or dill
- pinch of salt
For the raspberry chia seed jam:
- 2 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
- 1 tsp honey
- 2 Tbs chia seeds
Instructions
To make the homemade mascarpone cheese (make the day before):
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Pour the heavey cream in a saucepan, and slowly bring to a low simmer (180 °F). Let it simmer for 2-3 minutes over low heat, then add the fresh lemon juice, and simmer for another 3 minutes.
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Remove from heat, and allow to cool off to room temperature. It will thicken slightly but will not curd. Line a strainer with 4 layers of cheesecloth and place over a bowl. Pour the cream in the strainer, tie the ends of the cheesecloth together, and cover with plastic wrap. Leave in the fridge overnight for a softer mascarpone cheese, or longer for a harder consistency.
To make the raspberry chia jam:
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Add frozen or fresh raspberries to a small saucepan, and gently heat, until the fruit has barely warmed up and broken down a bit. Off heat, add the honey, and chia seeds, stir, and leave for an hour or more to thicken. Alternatively, if you don't want to wait that long, use as a sauce.
To make the mascarpone cheese filling:
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Mix 1 cup mascarpone cheese, with the zest of 2 large lemons. Divide the mix in half. Add the honey, and vanilla to one half and mix well. Adjust the sweetness and add more zest if needed. Add the chives (dill), salt and pepper to the other half.
Make the croissant French toast:
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Beat the eggs and milk in a bowl, then dip the croissant halves in the mix. Heat 2-3 tbs of oil and gently toast the halves, turning over after a minute or so.
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Assemble the French toast: Top each croissant half with 1 tbs of the mascarpone filling of choice (sweet or savory). Add the stuffing of choice (smoked salmon or raspberry jam), and press the two halves together.