Restaurant Wars 2013 - IHOP

It's about time I got back to my 2013 challenge!  With my summer of unemployment behind me, I feel like I need to get back to some sort of schedule.  While I look for my next job, I'm trying to put more of an effort toward WITK and all of you wonderful people!

Today I'm bringing you one of my favorite restaurant meals, breakfast at IHOP!  The boyfriend and I usually avoid IHOP for breakfast because the two near our apartment is always so busy.  We usually have to wait longer for a table than we actually spend sitting at the table.  Making my favorites at home saves all that extra table-waiting time and a whole bunch of money.

My favorite thing to order at IHOP is their stuffed French toast.  Being home all day I see tons of commercials for their delicious triangles of French toast and  I want to try them all.  The IHOP stuffed French toast is a manufactured bread in the shape of a triange, stuffed with sweet cream cheese.  The traditional way of making stuffed French toast at home is by cutting a slit in a slice of bread, this just isn't the same as those triangle!

I decided to use an egg challah roll as my bread.  The outside of the challah roll provides a similar shape to the restaurant original and it holds in the cream cheese perfectly.  I usually order my stuffed French toast topped with the strawberry compote, but I had a bag of frozen peaches in my house.

Go out and get yourself some challah rolls and have Saturday breakfast at home this week!

One Year Ago: Spinach & Sun-dried Tomato Quiche
Two Years Ago: Caramel Brownies
Three Years Ago: Roasted Red Pepper, Leek & Potato Soup

Individual Stuffed French Toast

A Wilde Original

1 16oz bag diced frozen peaches
2 tablespoons sugar
2-3 tablespoons heavy cream

2 challah roll
2 tablespoons cream cheese
2 teaspoons agave syrup
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 eggs
1/4 cup skim milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Place frozen peaches and sugar in small pot and warm over medium heat.  Cook until peaches are warmed and syrup is cooked down and thick.  Add heavy cream and stir to combine.  Keep warm over low heat until French toast is ready.

Using a small paring knife, cut a hole in the challah roll (like a jelly donut!).  In a small bowl, mix together cream cheese, agave syrup and cinnamon.  Fill each with about 1 tablespoon mixture.

Heat a griddle over medium heat.  Coat with cooking spray.  In a deep bowl, whisk together eggs, milk and vanilla extract.  Dunk the rolls, one at a time, in the egg mixture.  After 20 seconds, flip the roll over.  Place on the preheated griddle and cook for 4-5 minutes per side.

Serve the stuffed French toast with a spoonful of peaches and a drizzle of syrup.