Panettone French Toast

One of the many things I enjoy about this time of the year is the appearance of Panettone on the shelves of local markets and import stores.  This Milanese sweet bread is a favorite of mine when toasted for breakfast, but this morning I thought I'd try something new and turn it into French Toast.  Wow, was this ever a great idea!  I based my version on Ina Garten's Challah French Toast recipe that appears in her Barefoot Contessa Family Style Cookbook, substituting the Panettone for Challah, and scaling it down to serve two. It was delicious and a very special treat for the season.

Slice a fresh loaf of Panettone into 3/4" thick slices.

Soak slice in egg mixture for 5 minutes.

Flip slice after 2-1/2 minutes for even coverage.

Fry 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown.

Panettone French Toast for 2

(Printable Recipe)

2 extra-large eggs

1/2 cups half-and-half or milk

1 teaspoon grated orange zest

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon good honey

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

2 large slices Panettone
Unsalted butter

Vegetable oil

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.

In a 9" x 9" baking dish, whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, orange zest, vanilla, honey, and salt. Slice the panettone into 3/4-inch thick slices. Soak one slice at a time in the egg mixture for 5 minutes, turning once.

Heat 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon oil in a very large saute pan over medium heat (I used my Cuisinart Griddler). Add the soaked bread and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until nicely browned. Place the cooked French toast on a sheet pan and keep it warm in the oven. Fry the remaining soaked bread slice, adding butter and oil as needed, until it's all cooked. Serve hot with maple syrup, raspberry preserves, and/or confectioners' sugar.