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Ingredients
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1
demi baguette, cut into 8 slices
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8
eggs
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1/2 cup
whole milk
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2 tablespoons
Dijon mustard
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2 tablespoons
Fig preserves
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8
slices sharp cheddar cheese if from a block of cheese, 4 slices if pre-sliced
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4
slices ham
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3 tablespoons
butter
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1 tablespoon
extra virgin olive oil
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2 tablespoons
powdered sugar
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2 tablespoons
pure maple syrup
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4
whole, raw figs, sliced
Directions
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Whisk the eggs & the milk thoroughly, pour into a square baking dish (deeper rather than long & shallow) & set aside.
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Spread Dijon mustard on one slice of baguette & the fig preserves on the other.
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Fold your ham slice & place over the slice of bread with the mustard then add the cheddar cheese slices (folded if using pre-sliced).
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Gently set the assembled Monte Cristos into your baking dish. Let them sit for a minute or so. Once soaked, turn them over in the baking dish to ensure the entire sandwich gets soaked in the egg/milk mixture. After about 5 or so minutes they are ready to cook. If you’re using stale french bread they can soak longer, potentially even over night. I used fresh bread & didn’t want the slices to get too soggy that they fall apart so play it by ear
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Melt your butter & olive oil in a frying pan on medium high heat & cook your sandwiches 3-5 minutes per side until golden brown & crispy. They should resemble french toast. This is essentially a french toast sandwich after all. If you are cooking them in batches, store them in the oven on 250 degrees to keep warm.
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Once ready to eat, sift powdered sugar over them, drizzle with pure maple syrup & top with the sliced figs. Enjoy with a warm cup of coffee!
Note: I had a lot of egg/milk mixture. I can’t stand to waste food so I sprinkled the leftover mixture with salt & pepper & made scrambled eggs as a side. You could alternatively use less eggs but I really wanted the bread to be completely soaked. The result is a nice fluffy yet crisp sandwich. Your call!
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