If you love eggnog and enjoy French toast, putting the two together is a match made in Heaven.
The basic ingredients of eggnog — eggs and cream — along with its spicy, melted-ice-cream-like flavor all but beckon to be added to your pain perdu, especially once cartons of eggnog appear at the grocery store in every conceivable sort of dairy and non-dairy styles imaginable. And can we agree that starting the morning off with a shot or two of rum might be just what the doctor ordered by mid-December?
I jest, any alcohol added or already steeped in your eggnog will more than likely be cooked away . . . but the spirit of such a wild and rebellious act does remain.
Speaking of pain perdu, this is French toast. Most of us have certainly Americanized it by not caring much about the quality of the bread we use or the flavor of our eggy-creamy batter, because we are more than likely going to drench it all in syrup and butter anyway. I am not advocating that we abandon that glorious sugar puddle on our plates necessarily, but if we are coachable, we can learn something from the French here.
Number one, if we want superior French toast, we should be a bit more finical and discerning when choosing our bread; and number two, we should mix up a batter that will yield something flavorsome even if we were to serve it . . . [*gasp*] . . . sans-syrup.
Choosing a proper bread is simple: Step away from your favorite bag of sliced sandwich bread. Choose instead a stale or dried out brioche, French bread or baguette, sourdough, or even stale Texas toast or challah. Whatever you choose, it should be an inch or more in thickness.
The batter is where things get a little trickier. It's still easy, but a bit less exact. How stale your bread is, as well as the type you opt for, will impact how much liquid you need and how much of said batter is absorbed. The proportion of eggs to cream is really all you need, which is about 2:1 eggs to cream, to make up enough to have on hand. Then adjust the amounts of sweetener and spices accordingly.
Another variable when making French toast is the makeup of the eggnog you are using. For most store bought varieties, consider it simply the cream portion in the recipe and add an extra egg yolk. If you have leftover homemade eggnog that is thick and made with plenty of eggs, add only one or two yolks when making up your batter. What results should be rich and custard-like.
Without a doubt, eggnog is a great way to impart more flavor into your French toast while making breakfast time more festive during the holidays. Whether you slather yours with syrup, or step outside the typical and opt to top yours with sweetened, vanilla-spiked, fresh whipped cream, berries, and a sprinkling of grated orange zest, Eggnog French Toast will put you in the mood to sing carols and wrap presents.
And you may decide to save your maple syrup for pancakes once you treat yourself to these.
Eggnog French Toast
Ingredients
1 1/4 cup eggnog
2 to 3 egg yolks (omit the whites for better flavor and texture)
Dash of vanilla extract
1 to 2 tablespoons dark rum, optional
2 to 3 tablespoons coconut sugar, maple syrup or brown sugar
Hefty shake of cinnamon
A little nutmeg
Pinch of salt
8 slices of dried out French bread or stale bread of choice
4 to 6 pats of butter to cook toast, may need more
Options for serving: Sweetened whipped cream, berries, powdered sugar, grated orange zest, nutmeg, cinnamon, maple syrup
Directions
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Whisk to thoroughly combine all ingredients except bread slices and butter in a shallow, wide bowl.
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Using a large skillet or griddle over medium heat, add a pat or two of butter, enough to coat the surface when melted.
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Prepare bread in batches according to how many slices your skillet or griddle can hold at one time by dipping each slice of bread into eggnog mixture. After fully soaking each side of bread, place it onto hot skillet. Then prepare the next piece in the same fashion.
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Cook until when the corner is lifted, the bottom is nicely browned, about 3-4 minutes. Flip like a pancake and cook the second side until also golden brown.
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Plate and keep warm in a low oven until ready to serve.
Cook's Notes
Why omit the the egg whites and use only the yolks? You will love the richer flavor and superior texture. Egg whites are more difficult to blend fully with yolks and cream which can leave you with funky bits of unincorporated egg that is neither appealing to see or to taste.
