It's a holiday breakfast and brunch dish with a creamy, spiced flavor. It's simple to put together and can also be prepared as an overnight baked casserole if you need to feed many. If you made homemade eggnog, this is a great recipe for leftovers.
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Christmas breakfast
Two favorite flavors combine to make a unique breakfast.
You can make the classic individual toasts and stack them or assemble a casserole the night before (similar to the cranberry toast bake), so your morning is fuss-free, and you can spend more time opening presents with your family.
The type of bread you use will determine some of the sweetness and flavor of the overall dish. I like regular white bread to let the rest of the flavors come through, but challah and brioche also work.
If you use leftovers from a sweeter bread like Pandoro or Pulla, I recommend adjusting the amount of sugar and using less, especially if you serve it with powdered sugar or maple syrup. Unless you have a very sweet tooth, of course.
I don't recommend classic French bread, for example, as it's too crusty.
For other unique Christmas morning ideas, we also have panettone bread pudding and panettone French toast.
Steps to make this French toast
Eggnog: different brands will differ in taste and sweetness, the same if you make your own or add rum or brandy to it. So you'll have to adjust. The first time, I recommend cooking one slice of bread and adjusting the custard to your and your family's palate.
How sweet can the custard be? I don't recommend adding much sugar to it, especially if sprinkling it with powdered sugar and/or drizzling it with maple syrup or honey, which is very common. That said, for those with a serious sweet tooth, you can add 2-3 more tablespoons of sugar or sprinkle it before baking for a crunchier topping.
Custard
Integrate the ingredients well, but don't beat. We don't want to incorporate air.
This is the time to adjust the sugar and spices to your palate.
Bread slices
Bowls can usually hold one piece at a time, but you can use a baking or casserole dish to soak several pieces at once. The amount will be dictated by how many your skillet can hold, as over-soaking may break the slices apart and make them difficult (if not impossible) to handle.
Cooking
Dab the skillet with a little butter for each batch you cook.
How golden brown depends on your taste, but make sure the egg is cooked!
Overnight French toast casserole
- Butter a baking dish and arrange the bread pieces, overlapping slightly if you want to.
- Drizzle the custard over them. This is French toast, not bread pudding, so the custard only moistens the bread.
- Soaking time: Cover the dish with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate overnight for at least 8 hours, but no more than 12 so it doesn't get soggy. This allows the bread to fully absorb the custard.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Remove the casserole from the fridge while the oven preheats to take the chill off.
- Bake for about 45 minutes until the top is golden and the center is set. It takes longer than a room-temperature dish.
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Eggnog French Toast
Ingredients
- 1 cup prepared eggnog, at room temperature
- ¼ cup milk, at room temperature
- 4 eggs, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons sugar, or to taste depending on the sweetness of the eggnog
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon, or as needed depending on the flavor of the eggnog
- pinch of nutmeg or allspice, optional
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract, or to taste, optional, depending on the flavor of the eggnog
- 8 slices white sandwich bread
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, or as needed for the skillet
- butter, whipped cream, maple syrup or honey, powdered sugar, extra ground cinnamon and fresh fruit, optional to serve
Instructions
- The amount of spices and flavorings you'll need to add will depend on the flavor and characteristics of the eggnog you use. So go easy at first and adjust as needed.
- Lightly beat 4 eggs in a medium bowl with a whisk or fork, no need to use an electric mixer.
- Sitr in 1 cup prepared eggnog, ¼ cup milk, 2 tablespoons sugar, ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon, pinch of nutmeg or allspice¼ teaspoon vanilla extract and whisk to integrate. If using several bread pieces at a time, transfer the custard mixture to a shallow baking dish.
- Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-low heat and add a dab from the 2 tablespoons unsalted butter.
- Dip a slice (or slices if cooking several at a time) of bread into the eggnog mixture, 5-10 seconds on each side.
- Cook in the hot skillet for 2-3 minutes per side, or until golden and crisp. Repeat the process with the remaining slices of bread, adding more butter between batches.
- Serve immediately, 2 pieces per plate, topped with butter, whipped cream, maple syrup or honey, powdered sugar, extra ground cinnamon and fresh fruit or however you like it.
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