Ditch The Milk! This Sweet Breakfast Staple Will Taste Even Better With An Eggnog Bath

When winter rolls around, you want to start your day with something that's warm and hearty. Eggnog is surprisingly versatile, and the holiday season is a perfect time to take advantage of its availability by using it as an easy substitute for traditional French toast batter, giving you that distinctly cozy flavor without the fuss of making your own. If you think about it, eggnog brings together the exact ingredients used to make French toast batter: milk or cream, eggs, sugar, and warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg.

Store-bought eggnog composition varies. Some brands use actual eggs, while some use binding agents and stabilizers, like gellan and guar gum, for body. If yours doesn't contain eggs, beat one or two to the mixture. For a good French toast, you need the proteins to set when the soaked bread hits the hot, buttery pan. Eggs are a versatile kitchen powerhouse, and in this case they form the bouncy, cake-to-custard texture we want from French toast instead of just disintegrating into wet mush. Real egg also helps the slices brown more evenly, because sugar alone will burn before the center has time to firm up. From a nutritional standpoint, it helps to add protein to what would otherwise be an all-carb-and-sugar breakfast.

To make the absolute best French toast, use the eggnog just as you would the usual batter. Whisk in a pinch of salt to balance the sweetness, maybe a splash of vanilla or nice brandy, and then pour it into a shallow dish. Let each slice of bread drink up the custard until it feels weighted, but not saturated to the point of tearing. Cook low and slow in butter so the exterior caramelizes while the inside gently sets.

You can serve it traditionally, with pats of butter and a dusting of powdered sugar or a drizzle of maple syrup. Or you can steer the recipe in a few different directions depending on what else you pair with it. Add a citrus element like the zest from an orange or lemon into the batter or top the finished slices with a spoonful of marmalade to cut through the heavy cream. 

For even more fruitiness, fresh berries lend brightness and color and help the meal from leaning too heavy, especially if the eggnog you're using is thick. Cranberry sauce can add a sharpness that rounds out some of eggnog's earthier flavors and also nods to the same holiday spirit. You can also play up the dessert angle and dust the soaked slices lightly with granulated sugar right before they hit the pan. The sugar will burn into a thin, glassy crust, like the top of a classic crème brûlée. You can also try browning the butter in the pan until it smells nutty just before laying in the bread. The eggnog's creamy sweetness will mingle with the browned milk solids for a toffee-like flavor profile.