Eat your coffee for breakfast with this incredible Chocolate Stuffed Brioche French toast! It's made by dipping soft, buttery brioche bread in a coffee flavored custard, stuffing it with premium chocolate, and topping it with a dollop of whipped coffee cream.
Prep the brioche. Slice a loaf of brioche bread into 4 thick 2-inch slices. Cut into the middle of each slice, going only ¾ of the way down to create a pocket. Evenly fill each pocket with about 16g (~0.5oz) of solid chocolate.
In a large bowl or baker, whisk together the eggs and salt until fully combined. In a small jug or pitcher, pour in the milk, espresso powder, sugar and whisk together until the espresso mixes into the milk. Pour the milk into the egg and whisk together again.
Make the coffee whipped cream. In a bowl, add the instant espresso, sugar, and hot water. Whip it with a hand mixer until it triples in size and is very light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Slowly add in the cream while continuing to whip, another 2 minutes until medium peaks form.
Begin preheating a pan on low to medium heat and add a ¼ tablespoon of butter. Dip both sides of the brioche bread into the egg mixture to fully coat it, and immediately transfer to the hot pan. Cook on one side for two minutes until golden brown, and then carefully flip to the other side. Cook it for another two minutes until the egg has cooked through and the chocolate inside has melted. Transfer to a serving plate.
Repeat this for each slice of brioche bread.
Serve with a dollop of the coffee whipped cream and powdered sugar.
Notes
If you're looking to lower the fat content for French toast then you can absolutely omit the egg yolks and just use the egg whites. Adjust by adding 1-2 more eggs.
Day old or stale brioche bread is the best to use to avoid soggy bread that will fall apart.
How to Store Leftovers. Store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container or Ziploc bag for up to five days. You can also freeze for up to 2 months. To store French toast in the freezer, wrap them individually in parchment paper or plastic wrap and then transfer them to a freezer bag.
How to Reheat. The chocolate will re-solidify if the French toast is stored in the refrigerator or freezer. The best way to reheat is in the toaster oven to melt the chocolate and reheat the toast all the way through. Add more time if it's coming out of the freezer. It can also be reheated in a microwave at 30 seconds intervals so the chocolate doesn't burn or on a skillet for about 2 minutes on each side.