Panettone French Toast Bake

On behalf of my family to yours, Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year to you all!

The holidays are the best time of the year for so many of us because of the warm, cozy food and recipes that are shared. For Italians we have a lot of different recipes that we traditionally only make during Christmastime, and many of these are sweets! Panettone is a classic addition to any Italian Christmas. Sweet, buttery fermented dough is layered with candied citrus peels, dried fruits, and in some cases the addition of chocolate before baking and forming its signature dome shape. It's one of the most popular and anticipated sweets for Italians during Christmastime also because of its versatility, which is what I hope to show you with this recipe! Panettone is delicious when simply sliced or lightly toasted but can also is delicious when paired with gelato, fresh marinated berries and whipped cream, or a dessert wine.

This recipe is perfect for those who want a festive way to eat panettone and is especially useful if you happen have so much of it that it's slightly stale and need relivening!

Note: You can also do this recipe by thickly slicing panettone the panettone, dipping in the eggnog custard mixture, and pan frying in butter like traditional French toast!

Panettone French Toast Bake

750 g cubed panettone

1 cup eggnog

1 cup heavy cream

4 whole eggs

2 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

4 tbsp melted butter

Directions

1. Cube panettone into bite sized pieces and place in a buttered baking dish

2. Whisk together eggnog, cream, eggs, vanilla, spices, and melted butter and pour over bread

3. Let soak for 10 minutes before baking

4. Bake at 325 for 20-25 minutes

5. Best when served warm but can also be served room temperature!

Optional: Serve topped with powdered sugar and maple syrup

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