Stuffed French Toast Crunch

I've been going to Sunny Street Café by our house and getting their French Toast Crunch.  it's breaded in brown sugar, coconut and granola - it's so good!  every time I eat it I think about how I can make my own.  then I started thinking about my other favorite French toast - IHOP's stuffed French toast with cream cheese and strawberries.  then I wondered how awesome those two would be together!  so out came my mom's Snakmaster and here we are.

 

  

THE BEST MOST AWESOME STUFFED FRENCH TOAST CRUNCH:

 

8 slices of bread (your choice of flavor, I used honey wheat because that's what we normally eat but cinnamon raisin bread would be really good!)

1/2 C shredded coconut

1/4 C granola (I use Archer Farms Pecan Sticky Bun granola cereal from Target because that's what I could find and it sounded good)
2 TBSP brown sugar

2 large eggs

1/4 - 1/2 cup milk

4 oz. cream cheese

3 TBSP butter

1/4 C powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

optional:
fresh or frozen strawberries, or other fruit
sugar
 

Heat strawberries on stove (or in microwave) with a little sugar (optional) until they can be mashed up.  Set aside to cool. Cream butter and cream cheese together, slowly add powdered sugar until combined, add a splash of milk if too thick, and mix in vanilla.  Tweak flavor if necessary and set aside.  Add milk to beaten egg and set aside.  Pulse coconut, brown sugar, and granola together in a food processor (I use a coffee grinder) until it looks like bread crumbs, set aside.  Spread filling onto a slice of bread and sandwich with another slice, dip in egg and milk mixture, then dip in coconut and granola mixture and lay in the preheated Snakmaster.  Close the Snakmaster for a minute, then check to make sure it's not browning too much.  When the outside is brown enough for your liking, take it out.  Top with powdered sugar and/or fruit.