Angel Food Cake French Toast with Fresh Strawberry Syrup

Ingredients

• 1 8- inch angel food cake, sliced into 12 – 14 pieces, or two angel food cake loafs, sliced into 1-inch thick pieces
• 1 1/4 cups milk
• 5 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 tsp cinnamon
• Butter for griddle
• Sweetened whipped cream, for serving
• 2 lbs fresh strawberries, stemmed and diced
• 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 4 Tbsp water, divided
• 1 Tbsp cornstarch

Directions

1. For the strawberry syrup, combine the strawberries, lemon juice, sugar and 2 Tbsp water in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring often, then lower the heat a bit and continue boiling for about 4 – 6 minutes, until the berries have softened and released plenty of juice. In a small bowl, whisk the remaining 2 Tbsp water with the cornstarch until smooth, then stir it into the berry mixture. Boil for about 1 minute, until the syrup thickens. Take the pan off the heat and let it cool slightly. If using, stir in 2 drops of red food color to deepen the color.
2. For the french toast, warm a non-stick griddle to 375 degrees. Add the milk, eggs, vanilla and cinnamon to a blender and pulse just until combined, or whisk them together thoroughly in a mixing bowl. Transfer the mixture to a shallow dish, such as an 8 by 8-inch baking dish. Add about 6 pieces of angel food cake, or as many as will fit comfortably, and soak them for about 2 1/2 minutes per side. The custard will not reach all the way to the center, but you want the outside well coated.
3. Butter the griddle, then arrange the soaked angel food cake pieces on it. Cook for several minutes, until the first side is golden brown. Lift the pieces, butter the griddle again, and cook the second side until golden brown. Cook the top and edges for about 30 seconds each side as well. Repeat with the rest of the angel food cake slices. Serve warm with warm strawberry syrup and whipped cream.