French toast and cheesecake bars

Ingredients

For the French toast layer:

• 400 ml milk
• 2 eggs
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• brioche (sliced, or sandwich bread if you don't have brioche)

For the cheesecake:

• 450 gr cream cheese
• 280 gr sour cream
• 130 gr sugar
• 25 gr flour
• 1.5 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp vanilla extract (or natural vanilla seeds)
• 3 eggs

For browning:

• butter
• sugar

Materials

• 23x23 cm square pan
• Parchment paper

Preparation

• First, prepare the cheesecake cream:
  Beat the cream cheese until creamy. Add the remaining ingredients except for the eggs (sour cream + sugar + flour + lemon juice + vanilla extract).
  Mix well, and finally incorporate the eggs (lightly beaten beforehand). Mix a little (not too much) just to achieve a homogeneous mixture.
  Set aside.
• For the French toast:
  In a bowl, whisk together all the ingredients except the brioche (milk + eggs + sugar + vanilla).
  
• Cut the brioche into slices (if not pre-sliced) and soak the slices in the previous mixture.
• In a square mold (greased and lined with baking paper), place the soaked brioche slices.
  
• Once the base is covered, pour the cheesecake mixture on top of the brioche.
• Next, make the final layer of French toast. Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes at 140°C.
  
• When there are 15 minutes left, remove the cheesecake and brush the surface with melted butter, then sprinkle a little sugar on top. Return it to the oven to finish browning.
  If you don’t think it’s toasted enough, put it under the broiler for 2 more minutes (top heat only at 200°C). Be careful—it browns very quickly!
• Remove and let cool on a rack. Once cooled, refrigerate overnight (yes, we know, it's a long wait but it's worth it!)
  The next day, unmold and cut into bars or squares.
  
• Serve with maple syrup, honey, or caramel on top. And enjoy!

Observations

* You can add spices or other flavors to the milk you soak the brioche slices in. For example: cinnamon, orange or lemon zest, cocoa powder...

* You can serve it with berry sauce to balance the sweetness with tartness. It pairs perfectly!

Questions

Photos of members who cooked this recipe