Strawberry French Toast
Strawberry Mascarpone French Toast with golden brioche, silky strawberry cream, fresh berries and toasted pistachios. A cozy, indulgent breakfast with a perfect balance of sweetness and texture.
🍽️ Servings: 2
Strawberry Mascarpone Cream
(Yields enough for 4 servings – store leftover cream in the fridge)
Ingredients
- 75 g strawberries
- 125 g mascarpone
- 60 g heavy cream
- 30 g powdered sugar
- 0.5 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Cut the strawberries into small pieces and blend until completely smooth.
- Transfer the puree to a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until reduced to 35 g. Cool completely.
- Whip the heavy cream to soft peaks.
- Combine the mascarpone, reduced strawberry puree, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth.
- Gently fold in the whipped cream until light and airy.
- Transfer the cream to a piping bag and refrigerate until ready to use.
French Toast Custard
Ingredients
- 50 g whole milk
- 25 g heavy cream
- 1 eggs
- 5 g sugar
- A pinch of salt
- 0.25 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Whisk together the whole milk, heavy cream, eggs, sugar, salt, and vanilla extract until completely smooth.
- Soak the brioche for about 1 minute per side.
- Let the excess custard drip off for about 10 seconds before cooking.
French Toast
Ingredients
- 1 thick slices brioche bread about 4 cm thick
- 15 g butter
Instructions
- Heat a frying pan over medium heat and melt the butter.
- Cook the brioche for about 4 minutes per side until deeply golden and crisp on the outside while remaining soft and creamy inside.
- Transfer to an oven preheated to 180 °C / 355 °F and bake for about 5 minutes.
- Let the French toast rest for about 4 minutes before serving.
Topping
Ingredients
- 30 g strawberries
- 5 g pistachios
Instructions
- Slice the strawberries thinly.
- Toast the pistachios in a dry pan over medium heat for about 3 minutes.
- Let them cool, then roughly chop.
Assembly
Instructions
- Place the warm French toast on a serving plate.
- Pipe the strawberry mascarpone cream down the center of the toast.
- Use the back of a spoon to gently spread the center of the cream while leaving the edges slightly higher.
- Arrange the sliced strawberries over the cream.
- Finish with the toasted pistachios and serve immediately.
Tips & More Info
Reducing the strawberry puree
Cooking the strawberry puree removes excess water and concentrates the natural fruit flavor. This creates a stronger strawberry taste while keeping the mascarpone cream stable instead of making it loose or watery.
Why cool the strawberry reduction completely?
The strawberry puree needs to be fully cooled before combining with mascarpone. Warm puree can soften the mascarpone and affect the structure of the cream, making it less light and stable.
Brioche thickness and soaking time
A thick slice of brioche allows the custard to penetrate the center while keeping enough structure to hold its shape. Longer soaking is not always better, as too much liquid can make the bread fragile and prevent a crisp exterior.
Resting after cooking
Letting the French toast rest briefly after cooking allows the internal temperature to stabilize and the structure to set slightly. This helps the brioche keep its creamy center while preventing the mascarpone cream from melting and running off immediately when added. The result is a cleaner presentation and a better balance between warm toast and cool cream.
Cooking with butter for better flavor
Butter adds rich dairy notes and helps create a deeply golden crust. Keeping the heat controlled is important because brioche contains sugar and browns quickly, so a slower cook gives a crisp surface without burning.
Toasting pistachios for more aroma
Lightly toasting pistachios releases their natural oils and intensifies their nutty flavor. This small step creates a stronger contrast against the sweet strawberry cream and soft brioche.
Higher protein option
For a higher protein version, you can replace part of the mascarpone with a thick high protein yogurt or skyr. The cream will be slightly lighter but will still keep a smooth texture and strawberry flavor.