Recipe: Peach and Mascarpone-stuffed French toast

Chantilly cream and poached mandarin oranges with a quick calamansi and blood orange mimosa.

Poached Mandarin Oranges

1 cup water

1 cup sugar

4 clementine mandarin oranges, peeled and split into segments

1. Mix the water and the sugar in a pot and over medium-high heat, bring the pot to a boil.
2. Turn the heat off and place the mandarin orange slices into the syrup. The residual heat will poach the mandarin slices and once cooled, the orange segments are ready to use.

Peach and Mascarpone Stuffed French Toast

2 slices brioche bread, cut 2 inches thick

2 eggs

⅔ cup milk

1 tablespoon sugar

¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

pinch salt

pinch cinnamon

pinch nutmeg

2 tablespoons butter

Stuffing:

½ cup peaches, sliced (fresh or frozen)

¼ cup mascarpone cheese

½ teaspoon vanilla

2 teaspoons powdered sugar

Garnishes:

powdered sugar

poached mandarins

whipped or chantilly cream

Mint

1. Mix together the mascarpone with the vanilla and powdered sugar.
2. Whisk together the egg, milk, sugar, vanilla extract, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Cut the bread into two pieces, cut a slit into both pieces and stuff the bread with peaches and mascarpone.
3. Dip both stuffed breads into the milk and egg mixture and allow them to absorb some of the liquid. In a non-stick pan over medium heat, melt the butter and start to pan-fry the French toast. Continue to cook the French toast until the centres are warm and the outside is nice and golden brown.
4. Garnish with powdered sugar, poached mandarins, chantilly cream and mint.

Calamansi and Blood Orange Mimosa

¾ cup sparkling wine

⅔ cup blood orange juice

3 tablespoons calamansi extract

Pinch Sugar

1. Mix the wine, blood orange juice, and calamansi extract.
2. Add a pinch of sugar and adjust the sweetness to your preference.
3. Serve in a chilled glass and if you like, garnish with a thin slice of blood orange.