1. Use 3 tablespoons of the butter to coat the bottom and sides of a 13-by-9-inch baking pan. Slice the bread into 1/2-inch thick slices. Arrange the slices, overlapping them slightly, to completely fill the pan.

2. Whisk the eggs together in a large bowl. Whisk in the eggnog, half-and-half, rum, vanilla, nutmeg and salt. Slowly pour the mixture over the bread in the pan, being sure to moisten each slice. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a couple of hours or overnight.

3. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Remove plastic from the pan. Bake until bread is beautifully golden and starting to pull away from the sides of the pan, about 45 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, heat lingonberries in a small microwave-safe dish on medium heat (50% power) until warm. Warm the syrup if it is cold.

5. Sprinkle the French toast with confectioners’ sugar. Use a metal spatula to cut the French toast into large squares. Serve with a spoonful of the warmed lingonberries. Add syrup if desired.

Classic French Toast with Eggnog

Makes 4 to 6 servings

1 loaf (15 to 18 ounces) challah bread or raisin bread

4 large eggs

1 cup eggnog

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