1/2 cup half-and-half or whole milk or more eggnog

1 tablespoon golden rum or 1/2 teaspoon rum extract, optional

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon salt

Vegetable oil for cooking

Butter, softened

Confectioners’ sugar for garnish

Lingonberries or whole berry cranberry sauce

Pure maple syrup

1. Slice bread 1/2-inch thick. Let stand in a single layer on the work surface for at least 20 minutes or up to several hours to dry it out a bit.

2. Whisk eggs together in a large shallow bowl. Whisk in eggnog, half-and-half, rum, vanilla, nutmeg and salt.

3. Heat a large nonstick griddle or skillet over medium heat until a drop of water sizzles furiously on contact. Add a film of vegetable oil and a few bits of butter to the griddle. Add a slice of bread to the egg mixture and turn with tongs to coat it thoroughly with egg, let excess egg drip back into the bowl. Add the bread to the hot griddle. Adjust heat to cook bread until nicely golden, about 3 minutes. Flip bread carefully and cook to brown the other side, 2 to 3 minutes more. Add more soaked bread slices as the griddle accommodates.

4. Transfer cooked French toast to warm serving plates. Serve right away with confectioners’ sugar, berries and syrup.

(JeanMarie Brownson is a James Beard Award-winning author and the recipient of the IACP Cookbook Award for her latest cookbook, “Dinner at Home.” JeanMarie, a chef and authority on home cooking, Mexican cooking and specialty food, is one of the founding partners of Frontera Foods. She co-authored three cookbooks with chef Rick Bayless, including “Mexico: One Plate at a Time.” JeanMarie has enjoyed developing recipes and writing about food, travel and dining for more than four decades.)

©2022 JeanMarie Brownson. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.