Lunch: Bananas Foster French Toast with Whipped Cream Cheese

Ingredients

8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
1 cup very cold heavy cream

Instructions

For the whipped cream cheese: Put the cream cheese, vanilla and orange zest in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment and whip until light and fluffy. Add the cold heavy cream and whip until soft peaks form. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. For the french toast: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Whisk together the sugar and eggs until smooth. Whisk in the milk, cream, cinnamon and vanilla until combined. Make the French toast in 2 batches. Heat 2 tablespoons each of the butter and oil in a large saute pan over medium heat until the butter is melted and the oil begins to shimmer. Place 4 slices of the bread in the custard mixture and let sit on both sides until soaked through. Remove with a slotted spatula to allow the excess custard to run off. Cook until the toast is golden brown on both sides and cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer the French toast to a baking rack set over a baking sheet and keep warm in the oven while you cook the second batch with the remaining butter, oil and bread. Keep French toast warm until ready to serve. For the banana foster topping: Heat the butter in a large saute pan over high heat until it begins to sizzle. Whisk in the brown sugar and cinnamon and cook until the sugar has melted and the mixture has thickened slightly. Add the bananas and cook until slightly softened. Remove from the heat and add the rum and banana liqueur. Return to the heat and cook until the alcohol has burned off. Serve 2 slices of toast per person, topped with some of the bananas and their syrup, a dollop of the whipped cream cheese, some fresh berries, and sprinkling of confectioners' sugar, if using. Garnish with mint.

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