Ingredients:

¹/³ cup dried cherries, chopped
1 tablespoon dark rum
8 slices challah or other egg bread
1 tablespoon fi nely chopped almonds
1 large egg
2 large egg whites
¼ cup low-fat buttermilk
1 teaspoon confectioners’ sugar

Directions:

Combine cherries and rum in cup; let soak about 10 minutes, stirring once or twice.

Meanwhile, spray nonstick baking sheet with nonstick spray and place in oven. Preheat oven to 400°F.

Place 4 slices of bread in shallow baking pan in single layer. Stir almonds into cherry mixture; sprinkle evenly over bread. Top each slice of bread with second slice of bread. Beat together egg, egg whites, and buttermilk in 2-cup glass measure. Pour evenly over stuffed bread, then turn bread over to coat evenly. Let stand 10 minutes, pressing edges of bread together to seal.

With wide spatula, transfer stuffed bread to preheated prepared baking sheet. Bake 10 minutes; turn over and bake until French toast is well browned and cooked through, about 6 minutes. Dust with confectioners’ sugar.