French Toast Sandwiches with Apricot Preserves

TheWife and I recently had a version of this as prepared at the What's for Dinner Studio Kitchen. I thought the flavor was excellent, and it had a very decadent texture. What's not to love about cream cheese and walnuts sandwiched between two thick french toast slices and topped with orange marmalade. But I was disappointed with how soggy the bread became after thawing in the fridge. It seems that while the bread thawed, the egg mixture soaked all the way into bread, making it very mushy. The sandwiches were prepared in advance, already soaked and put together. All we had to do is plop them onto the griddle and cook.

I just couldn't get my mind off it because I knew there was a better method to that madness. That method is to make the sandwiches AFTER cooking the toast. And here we go.

Ingredients
- 1 loaf french bread, cut into slices
- 3 eggs, beaten
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 oz. cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup chopped pecans
- Apricot jam or preserves
- 2 TBSP Honey

In a small bowl, mix the cream cheese, honey, and half of the pecans. Set in the refrigerator to stay cool.

Heat a skillet or griddle to medium-high heat. In a bowl, beat the eggs with the vanilla. Dip each slice of bread in the egg mixture, coating both sides. Place the slices on the griddle and cook 2-3 minutes per side, depending on how high the temperature.

When they're finished, put one slice on your plate and spread a thin layer of the cream cheese mixture on it. Then complete the sandwich with the other slice. Top with apricot preserves and more chopped pecans.