You haven’t lived until you’ve had Swedish Pain Perdu and since I can count all the people who’ve had Swedish Pain Perdu on one hand, it means the zombie apocalypse is upon us and you are all zombies. Luckily, I have the cure for insatiable brain cravings:
Pain perdu with a liberal dusting of powdered sugar and some
fresh blackberries.
swedish pain perdu
4 eggs
2/3 cup cream or whole milk
1/4 cup cognac or bourbon
1/2 tsp fresh ground nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup cream cheese
1/3 cup gooseberry preserves [you can get it at IKEA]
4 1-1/4 inch thick slices of artisan bread [preferably a sweeter one, such as brioche or pugliese...I prefer a day-old pugliese]
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, bourbon, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla extract. Pour into a shallow, flat dish [I use an 8x6 Pyrex baking dish]. Slice the bread down the middle about 3/4 to 4/5 of the way, to make an envelope of sorts. Place the bread in the egg mixture and let soak on each side for 2-3 minutes.
In a mixing bowl [you can use the same mixing bowl, or a new one if you’re touchy about raw eggs] combine the cream cheese and gooseberry preserves. When you’re bread is done soaking, spoon 1/4 of this cream cheese mixture into the pocket of each slice of bread.
Heat a medium-sized skillet over medium-low heat. Place a slice of butter in the pan to lubricate it. Place the soaked and stuffed bread slices in the pan. If all the slices do not fit, don’t crowd the pan. It’s better to cook in shifts than to crowd the pan. Now here’s the important part: cover the pan. This will lock in the heat and help to cook the bread all the way through without burning or drying it out. After a few minutes, about 3, check the bread to make sure it’s not burning. If it is, reduce heat a little. The bread should only take about 5-7 minutes per side. When done, the outsides of the bread should be a light brown and the center a warm and gooey mess of deliciousness. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, serve with a dollop of gooseberry preserves, or pour syrup over it.
Makes 2-4 servings.
