Baked Eggnog French Toast
Golden, egg-rich challah is the best choice for this French toast inspired by holiday eggnog since it does a great job of soaking up the rich custard. And because the entire dish can be assembled the night before it’s baked, it’s the perfect dish for serving to a house full of guests with a minimum of fuss.
Ingredients:
- 1 loaf day-old challah, about 1 lb. (500 g), cut into slices 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick
- 8 eggs
- 2 cups (16 fl. oz./500 ml) milk
- 1/2 cup (4 fl. oz./125 ml) heavy cream
- 1 cup (8 oz./250 g) granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup (3 fl. oz./80 ml) bourbon
- 1 Tbs. vanilla extract
- 1 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg
- Confectioners’ sugar for garnish
- Maple syrup for serving (optional)
Directions:
Generously butter a 2 3/4-quart (2.75-l) Dutch oven or deep casserole dish. Arrange the bread slices in the prepared dish, overlapping them slightly.
In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, cream, granulated sugar, bourbon, vanilla and nutmeg until the sugar is dissolved. Pour the liquid evenly over the bread, turning some of the slices if necessary so that they have all absorbed some of the liquid. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to overnight.
Preheat an oven to 350°F (180°C).
Transfer the dish to the oven and bake, uncovered, until the French toast is puffy and the top of the bread is lightly browned, about 50 minutes, tenting the dish with aluminum foil if the top is getting too brown. Remove from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes. Dust generously with confectioners’ sugar and serve warm, passing maple syrup alongside. Serves 6 to 8.
