Egg Nog French Toast

Egg Nog French Toast

Great way to utilize that last bit of egg nog in the fridge at the end of the season.  Perfect for Xmas morning or even NY Day.   Remember, there’s not really egg in your store bought eggnog, or if there was, it was already cooked into custard, so you’ll need to use eggs for your French toast.  You’re essentially just swapping out the milk for Egg Nog, then ramping up those eggnog specific flavors like nutmeg, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger.  I even like just a little grind of black pepper in the mix. 

Here’s a good one if you done already have a favorite recipe:

Ingredients
1 loaf crusty country-style bread, sliced 1-inch thick
1 1/2 cups eggnog, store-bought or homemade
2 tablespoons dark rum (optional, can omit or use 2 teaspoons rum extract)
4 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 to 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
Whipped cream and maple syrup, for serving

Slice the bread:
Slice up the loaf of bread (if necessary) and set aside to dry out a bit. This can be for 15 minutes, as you prep the batter, or up to 48 hours on your countertop.

Warm the oven:
Once you are ready to make the toast, place a metal wire rack in a rimmed baking sheet. Place it in an oven and turn the oven to 250°F.

Make the batter:
Combine the eggnog, rum (if using) eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla in a large bowl. Whisk until uniform in color. Dunk two or three pieces of bread into the batter, flipping over to make sure both sides get covered.

Fry the toast:
Heat 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet or griddle on medium heat. Once the butter has melted, move the soaked bread from the bowl (or baking pan) using tongs or your fingers, letting any excess batter drip off the bread. If you left the toast to soak overnight, be careful as the bread will be more fragile.

Fry the toast for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown. Flip the toast with a spatula and continue to cook for an additional 2 or 3 minutes until both sides are equally brown. While the toast is cooking, place more slices in the bowl to soak up the batter.

Keep the toast warm:
Move the finished toast to the wire rack in the oven, and repeat with the remaining bread, soaking first then frying. Serve immediately with maple syrup or whipped cream.

Hans Rueffert