Panettone French Toast
by Nigella. Featured in NIGELLISSIMAIntroduction
While I was tempted to call this Italian Toast, rather than the almost tactless Panettone French Toast, I felt the latter title had the benefit of conveying to you exactly what this is. You can certainly make it with plainer golden pandoro, but it may also be useful to know that should you have made, or be making, the Italian Christmas Pudding Cake, the amount of panettone specified below is pretty much what you’ll have leftover if you started with a 1kg/2¼lb panettone. Besides, the panettone with its spicy studding of sweet fruits does make this feel like a fully festive breakfast. Dried and candied fruit phobes should obviously take the pandoro path.
If you cook these, as I do, for 1 minute a side, the egg will be soft inside, so some eaters may want them cooked longer.
And please read the Additional Information section at the end of the recipe before proceeding.
For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.
While I was tempted to call this Italian Toast, rather than the almost tactless Panettone French Toast, I felt the latter title had the benefit of conveying to you exactly what this is. You can certainly make it with plainer golden pandoro, but it may also be useful to know that should you have made, or be making, the Italian Christmas Pudding Cake, the amount of panettone specified below is pretty much what you’ll have leftover if you started with a 1kg/2¼lb panettone. Besides, the panettone with its spicy studding of sweet fruits does make this feel like a fully festive breakfast. Dried and candied fruit phobes should obviously take the pandoro path.
If you cook these, as I do, for 1 minute a side, the egg will be soft inside, so some eaters may want them cooked longer.
And please read the Additional Information section at the end of the recipe before proceeding.
For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.
Ingredients
Serves: 4-6
For the French Toast
- 4 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons mascarpone cheese
- 125 millilitres full fat milk
- 300 grams panettone (or pandoro), slightly staled, cut into 8 equal pieces
- 50 grams unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon flavourless vegetable oil
To Serve
- 50 grams pomegranate seeds
- 1 teaspoon icing sugar
For the French Toast
- 4 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons mascarpone cheese
- ½ cup whole milk
- 12 ounces panettone (or pandoro), slightly staled, cut into 8 equal pieces
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon flavourless vegetable oil
To Serve
- ⅓ cup pomegranate seeds
- 1 teaspoon confectioners' sugar
Method
- In a dish that will take half the panettone pieces easily — I use a 24cm / 9inch square glass dish — whisk the eggs together with the mascarpone and milk; you will have to be a bit patient to smooth out the mascarpone — not that a normal person would register this, but my impatience colours my judgement.
- Dunk 4 of the panettone slices in the egg mixture and leave to soak for 1 minute.
- Put 25g / half the butter and ½ teaspoon oil in a large frying pan, and set over a low heat to melt. Turn the panettone slices in the egg mixture, and soak the other side for another minute, by which time the bread should have soaked up enough to soften it and the butter should have melted in the pan.
- Turn up the heat, then add the soaked slices to the frying pan and cook for 1 minute each side, so that their egg-soaked surfaces are golden, and browned in part. Meanwhile, soak the remaining 4 slices in the egg mixture for their 1 minute a side.
- Remove the first batch of Panettone French Toast from the pan to a large plate, add the remaining butter and oil to the pan, and cook the second batch as you did the first.
- When all the pieces are cooked and on the platter, scatter with pomegranate seeds, then dust thickly with the icing sugar pressed through a tea strainer, letting the “snow” fall mostly on the golden sweet-bread slices rather than on the fruit.
- In a dish that will take half the panettone pieces easily — I use a 24cm / 9inch square glass dish — whisk the eggs together with the mascarpone and milk; you will have to be a bit patient to smooth out the mascarpone — not that a normal person would register this, but my impatience colours my judgement.
- Dunk 4 of the panettone slices in the egg mixture and leave to soak for 1 minute.
- Put 25g / half the butter and ½ teaspoon oil in a large frying pan, and set over a low heat to melt. Turn the panettone slices in the egg mixture, and soak the other side for another minute, by which time the bread should have soaked up enough to soften it and the butter should have melted in the pan.
- Turn up the heat, then add the soaked slices to the frying pan and cook for 1 minute each side, so that their egg-soaked surfaces are golden, and browned in part. Meanwhile, soak the remaining 4 slices in the egg mixture for their 1 minute a side.
- Remove the first batch of Panettone French Toast from the pan to a large plate, add the remaining butter and oil to the pan, and cook the second batch as you did the first.
- When all the pieces are cooked and on the platter, scatter with pomegranate seeds, then dust thickly with the confectioners' sugar pressed through a tea strainer, letting the “snow” fall mostly on the golden sweet-bread slices rather than on the fruit.
Additional Information
NOTE: for nut-free, check your panettone does not contain nuts, as some do.
MAKE AHEAD / STORE:
It is not advisable to make ahead or store.
NOTE: for nut-free, check your panettone does not contain nuts, as some do.
MAKE AHEAD / STORE:
It is not advisable to make ahead or store.
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Show more commentsThis is an annual breakfast for us at Christmas time. We sometimes add orange juice to the egg mixture.
I made this delicious eggy Panettone soaked in double cream and Mascarponi cheese making this an amazing extra fruity brunch dish for guests delight to eat on New Year's day for brunch and they all loved it it's delicious. it takes eggy bread to a new level I also added some pistachios, chopped up pecans and Brazil's and some soft ready to eat apricots to make this extra fruity and nutty brunch dish that all the guests delight! Enjoy!
Fabulous. Also love Panettone bread and butter pudding
Fabulous!
Absolutely fantastic. I made this recipe this morning for New Year brunch and it was a hit!
Love this recipe - I always buy an extra panettone over Christmas so I know I'll have enough to make it!