One for the Table: Overnight Panettone-Eggnog French Toast
Is everyone familiar with panettone, a sweet, Italian bread loaf, full of candied orange peel and raisins? It comes in a very tall, lofty box we only see at holiday time.
I am always excited to get my first one of the season. It's the perfect accompaniment to my afternoon coffee. The texture is reminiscent of my mom's babka recipe, another taste I love. I wish it were so easily accessible all year round. But then I guess it wouldn't be special.
Anyway, it is always nice to have Christmas morning or New Year's Day brunch prepped the night before. It makes life so much easier, especially if you have a house full of guests.
When you slice into the panettone, you will see it is very light-colored and airy. Once cooked, the top is very crunchy while the bottom remains soft and custard-like. Serve with warm maple syrup and something salty like bacon or sausage.
Overnight Panettone-Eggnog French Toast
Recipe by Cathy Pollak for NoblePig.com
Serves 6-8.
1 panettone (1 lb 10 oz, 750 g or 26.4 oz)
2 cups full fat eggnog
6 large eggs
1/8 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup golden raisins
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Remove panettone from wrapper and dice into 1 1/2-inch pieces. Set aside. In a large bowl add eggnog, eggs, sugar, salt and nutmeg. Whisk until fully combined. Add raisins and panettone. Toss until panettone is completely coated in eggnog mixture.
Add coated panettone and any excess liquid to a 2-quart baking dish that has been coated with butter or cooking spray. Cover and refrigerate for eight hours or overnight.
Remove from refrigerator 30-45 minutes prior to baking (letting it warm up slightly). Preheat oven to 350 F. Mix together brown sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over the top of the soaked panettone bread. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 30 minutes more.
Serve warm with maple syrup.
(Cathy Pollak owns a vineyard and winery in the Willamette Valley of Oregon. She shares her love of food and wine at noblepig.com. One for the Table is Amy Ephron's online magazine that specializes in food, politics and love. http://www.oneforthetable.com/.)
