Homemade Eggnog French Toast (So Good!)

Our family is hooked on eggnog and it's sad times round my house when the grocery store stops stocking it in January. So this year I learned how to make it from scratch and gave it to my boyfriend wrapped up as a silly Christmas present. Be warned that French toast made with homemade eggnog is going to get gobbled quick! I've made it with store-bought eggnog lots of times, and that's also super delicious, so no worries if the homemade eggnog part doesn't interest you. If you make it with store-bought eggnog, just follow a traditional French toast recipe but substitute eggnog for the milk. Most store-bought eggnog doesn't actually have eggs in it, which is why you still need to keep them in the recipe.

Homemade eggnog will separate after a while, so give it a good shake or whisk it before using. Its shelf life is short so try to use it up within a few days. I made more than we could drink so I froze the rest to use for French toast another time. Store-bought eggnog can be frozen as well. They will both separate when thawing and will need to be mixed up well before use.

Homemade Egg Nog

Recipe adapted from About Home Cooking. Yield: 12- 16 servings.

The recipe calls for rum but if that's a problem just leave it out or substitute 1-2 teaspoons of non-alcoholic rum flavouring. Traditional eggnog is raw but for food safety reasons it's now recommended to cook it slightly (see below). I substituted agave nectar for sugar to make the recipe a little healthier and lower glycemic. It was still sweet enough for us.

Ingredients

• 6 large eggs, plus 2 yolks
• 1/3 C agave nectar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 4 C milk
• 2-4 Tbs dark rum
• 1 Tbs vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg (I used more to taste)
• 1/4 C cream, whipped to soft peaks
• Additional nutmeg for garnish

Preparation

Combine eggs, egg yolks, sugar, and salt in a large pan, whisking until well-combined. Continue whisking while pouring milk in a slow, steady stream until completely incorporated. Turn on burner to lowest possible heat setting. Place pan on burner and stir mixture continuously until an instant-read thermometer reaches 71 °C (160 °F) and the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Be patient. This should take about 25 to 30 minutes.Strain mixture through a fine sieve into a large bowl if needed to remove any accidental small cooked bits of egg. Add rum, plus vanilla extract and nutmeg. Stir to combine. Pour into a glass container and cover with a lid or plastic wrap. Refrigerate to chill at least 4 hours before finishing.When ready to serve, pour heavy cream into a bowl and whip until it forms soft peaks. Fold whipped cream into mixture until combined.Serve in chilled cups or glasses and garnish with a sprinkle of nutmeg.

Eggnog French Toast

Ingredients:

• 1 cup homemade eggnog
• 4 thick slices of bread (I used a homemade cinnamon raisin bread and it was AMAZING. Big thanks to my best friend Jenny for that special Christmas present!)

Preparation

Spray a large frying pan with a light coating of oil. Heat the pan on a medium setting. Pour the eggnog into a shallow dish wide enough for a piece of bread to lay in. Dip both sides of each piece of bread into the eggnogg until they are coated. Place the bread in the frying pan and cook on either side until lightly browned.

Tip: This French toast has a really nice flavour on its own, so don't overdo it with toppings that will overwhelm it. A little bit of maple syrup or a dollop of yogurt is nice.

Tip: French toast freezes well after it's made too, so you could always put leftovers in the freezer. Thawed pieces can be heated in a toaster or toaster oven, in an oven on a low setting or in a microwave. French toast is a great thing to make in large batches on the weekend and then enjoy on busy weekday mornings. Same thing goes for pancakes and waffles too! Try making them with eggnog as well.