Panettone French Toast with Cranberry Compote
Classic Italian Panettone bread is transformed into delicious and festive French toast for the holidays. Instead of soaking bread in a traditional mixture of milk, eggs, and spices, the panettone is soaked in a buttermilk-egg mixture infused with fresh orange zest and vanilla extract. The buttermilk adds a subtle tartness that helps balance the sweetness of this dish.
Ingredients
Cranberry Compote (Makes ~1 Cup):
- 8 ounces fresh cranberries
- ⅔ cup packed dark brown sugar
- 2 thick strips orange peel
- 1 cinnamon stick
- ⅓ cup water
- pinch kosher salt
Buttermilk Panettone French Toast:
- 1¾ cups buttermilk
- 4 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon fresh orange zest
- 1 loaf Italian Panettone ideally several days old or stale
- unsalted butter for cooking
- warm maple syrup for serving
- powdered sugar for garnishing (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the Cranberry Compote: Combine all of the ingredients in a medium saucepan. Place over medium heat and bring to a low boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to a low simmer and cook until the cranberries have burst and the mixture has thickened. Set aside to cool. Remove the cinnamon stick before serving.
- Prepare the French Toast: In a large, shallow bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, and orange zest. Set aside.
- Remove the panettone (ideally several days old or slightly stale) from the paper baking wrapper. Using a bread knife, slice the loaf horizontally into 1 to 1¼-inch thick round slices. Slice each round into half moons.
- Heat a tab of butter in a large, non-stick skillet over medium heat until small bubbles begin to form. Right before cooking, dip the panettone slices in the buttermilk-egg mixture, turning them until they just become saturated (note: if your Panettone is very fresh, do this step extremely quickly, as the bread is delicate and can become mushy quickly). Allow any excess egg-buttermilk mixture to drip off and place in the hot buttered pan. Cook in batches to avoid over-crowding the pan. Cook the french toast until golden brown on each side, flipping carefully with a wide heatproof spatula.
- Top the hot Panettone French toast with a spoonful of cranberry compote and serve with warm maple syrup. Garnish with powdered sugar, if desired.
Recipe inspired by The Animal Farm Buttermilk Cookbook.
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 693kcal, Carbohydrates: 145g, Protein: 10g, Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 208mg, Sodium: 303mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 125g