Chocolate Hazelnut Stuffed French Toast With Homemade Strawberry Syrup

This Chocolate Hazelnut Stuffed French Toast is
perfect served for dessert...or to satisfy a sweet tooth for breakfast! As you
may know, the French serve their "pain perdu" (French toast) for
dessert with old, somewhat stale bread. You can follow their example and use
any old bread you find in the cupboard. The sweet strawberry syrup makes a
perfect pair to the rich, decadent chocolate hazelnut spread! Refrigerate
remaining syrup (if you have any). The syrup is great on ice cream, pancakes,
you name it!

8 tablespoons chocolate hazelnut spread
8 slices bread (I used whole wheat)

3 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla
extract

1/4 cup plus 2
tablespoons milk

Powdered sugar, to serve, optional

Syrup:

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup sugar

Heaping 1/2 cup quartered strawberries

Place the water and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat and
stir until the sugar dissolves into the water, about a minute. Add the
strawberries in to the pan, bring to a boil. Boil for 8 minutes. Reduce heat
and let simmer until the sauce has thickened, about another 8 minutes. Place
liquid in a sieve/strainer above a bowl (container, bottle, etc.) and let the
liquid run through to ensure a smooth syrup.

Combine the eggs, milk, and vanilla in a shallow dish. Spread 2
tablespoons of chocolate hazelnut spread onto one piece of bread, and repeat
with 3 other slices, so you have 4 chocolate covered slices. Cover each slice
with a plain piece of bread, making a sandwich. Place each "sandwich"
in the egg mixture, flipping after about 30 seconds. Place the sandwich onto a
skillet over medium heat, cook for about 2 minutes, flip, cook for another 2
minutes, until lightly golden. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining
sandwiches. Dust with powdered sugar (optional) and serve with strawberry
syrup. Enjoy!