Larue: Panettone takes French toast to a new level

Angelina Larue
·2 min read

Perhaps you purchased, or received as a gift, a beautiful box containing a fruit-studded loaf of panettone bread during the holidays. When it’s fresh, this airy holiday bread with jewel-toned fruit is a treat to behold. Once the loaf is a bit stale, it can certainly be dry. One solution for that is to toast it and serve it as you would other toast, with jam and butter.

Panettone takes French toast to a new level. The bits of dried fruit that it contains adds flavor, texture, and pazazz. It truly makes it feel like a holiday treat, even for a typical breakfast or brunch.
Panettone takes French toast to a new level. The bits of dried fruit that it contains adds flavor, texture, and pazazz. It truly makes it feel like a holiday treat, even for a typical breakfast or brunch.

Another idea for using your panettone is to cut it into cubes and make a bread pudding with it. Along those same lines, I like to make French toast casserole. The nice thing about making a casserole-type French toast is that we can prepare it and stick into the oven and forget about, versus flipping individual pieces of egg and milk-soaked bread in a hot skillet.

Panettone takes French toast to a new level. The bits of dried fruit that it contains adds flavor, texture, and pazazz. It truly makes it feel like a holiday treat, even for a typical breakfast or brunch. A sprinkling of almonds adds even more texture, and crunch. To make it look extra special, and for a touch of sweetness, dust the top of the French toast casserole with powdered sugar. It’s a beautiful presentation, and a confection that is sure to be a favorite for everyone.

LaRue
LaRue

Tip: Heat an approximately 1/2 cup pure maple syrup with a couple of tablespoons of butter to drizzle over the top of each serving.

Here’s to making a basic weekend breakfast feel like a celebration.

Enjoy food made fresh!

Panettone French Toast Casserole

17.5 ounce panettone loaf

2 cups whole milk

3 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup sliced almonds

For serving: maple syrup, butter, powdered sugar

Butter to grease the baking dish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 2-quart casserole dish with butter.

Cut panettone in half, vertically. Slice each half into 3/4-inch slices.

In a medium, shallow bowl, whisk milk, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until well combined.

Dip each slice of bread into the milk/egg mixture and arrange in the prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle the top of bread slices evenly with sliced almonds.

Bake in preheat oven for approximately 1 hour, or until liquid is absorbed. (Watch closely; if top begins to get too brown, cover loosely with aluminum foil.

Remove from oven and let rest for a couple of minutes. Dust with powdered sugar, and serve with pure maple syrup and butter, if desired. Makes 6 servings.

ANGELINA LARUE is a food writer, recipe developer and author of “The Whole Enchilada Fresh and Nutritious Southwestern Cuisine.”

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Larue: Panettone takes French toast to a new level