Eggnog Panettone French Toast: A Decadent New Year’s Brunch

By this point in the holiday season, the bountiful feast meals are behind us. And what remains is a varied selection of leftovers, both sweet and savoury. I’ve been inspired to create a new recipe from a couple of these Christmas classics: eggnog and panettone. And so, I introduce to you (drum roll please) Eggnog Panettone French Toast.

My first source of inspiration for this recipe is beloved French chef Jacques Pépin, who uses ice cream to make his pain perdue – French toast, due to its high egg content. And that got me thinking that eggnog would also be a good option, especially since it’s already seasoned. I use store-bought eggnog. The Best Eggnog Recipe Ever nog I reserve for sipping. My second source of inspiration came when I came across a cute collection of seasonal tins of individual-sized panettone. My sister Betty and I had made french toast out of this lighter-than-air Italian sweet bread several years ago and loved it. So I though it would be a perfect match for the eggnog.

And it definitely is! The dryness of the panettone is perfect for absorbing the rich, rum-flavoured eggnog. And the sugars in both fry up to create a delicious, caramelized crust while leaving a warm, creamy interior. Serve with fresh berries and maple syrup and you’ve got the perfect New Year’s brunch. I am sure it will become a new holiday favourite of mine and I hope it will for you too.

Ingredients:

Serves 2

• 80 g (2.8 oz) panettone
• 120 ml (3/4 cup) eggnog
• 15 ml (1 tbsp) butter
• fresh strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, as desired
• maple syrup, as desired

Method:

1. Slice panettone into 3/4″ thick pieces
2. Soak panettone in eggnog for 10 to 15 seconds.
3. Melt butter in heated frying pan and fry soaked panettone slices until underside is golden.
4. Flip panettone and fry until second side is golden.
5. Serve your Eggnog Panettone French Toast on warmed plates with fresh fruit and maple syrup.

Add a touch of ‘la vie en rose‘ to your home for the holidays. You can order our chic Eiffel Napkins and festive Christmas ornaments from the Boutique.

Cuisine Tip: Cast iron frying pans or grills are perfect for frying French toast. The key is to preheat the pan. Once heated, the pan will hold the warmth, even at low temperatures. Preheat on medium-high until a drop of water sizzles when dropped in it. Then reduce heat to medium-low and add butter or oil. The pan is now ready for cooking.