Featured Recipe
Panettone French Toast Twist
By Kate
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Half-soaked panettone slices fried in browned butter. Orange marmalade syrup simmered to sticky glaze. Tangy Greek yogurt with crunchy crushed amaretti and juicy citrus segments on top. Cinnamon swapped with cardamom for warm, slightly floral notes. Honey replaces sugar in soaking mix for subtle sweetness. Recipes adapted for visual cues over timers, emphasizing caramel color, aroma, texture. Six servings. Oven heat finishes cooking evenly. Butter browned for nuttiness, syrup syrupy but not burnt. Shows how to rescue dry panettone and layering flavors with texture.
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Prep:
25 min
Cook:
22 min
Total:
47 min
Serves:
6 servings
brunch
dessert
fusion
recipe
panettone
Introduction
Forget traditional French toast batter. Using panettone—a sweet, airy bread—you get more richness and texture if soaked properly. Honey in soaking mix adds subtle florals compared to plain sugar, and cardamom replaces cinnamon for a warm whisper of spice. Browning butter for cooking slices brings a toasted complexity most skip. Don’t rush flipping; look for a shiny, deep caramel crust before flip. Those crunchy amaretti bits layered on creamy yogurt add not just texture but a bitter-sweet note balancing syrup’s citrus punch. The syrup? Reduce marmalade with orange juice and butter till syrupy and shiny. Serve straight away, watch crispness transform as syrup melts in. You’re not just frying bread here—you’re building layers of flavor and mouthfeel, time-tested tactics for elevating humble ingredients.
Ingredients
Panettone Soak
- 375 ml 1 1/2 cup whole milk or oat milk
- 90 g 6 tbsp raw honey (replace sugar)
- 3 large eggs
- 5 ml 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2.5 ml 1/2 tsp ground cardamom (replace cinnamon)
- 6 slices panettone about 5 cm thick
- 60 g 1/4 cup unsalted butter (for frying)
- 60 ml 1/4 cup orange marmalade, homemade or store-bought
- 30 ml 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 125 ml 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
- 45 g 3 tbsp granulated sugar (reduced from 55 g)
- 180 ml 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt or coconut cream
- 12 amaretti biscuits crushed
- 3 oranges, peeled and segmented (supplanted by pink grapefruit if desired)
Orange Marmalade Syrup
Topping
About the ingredients
Swapping sugar for honey here softens the soak, creating a gentler sweetness and slight floral undertones without overpowering. It’s easiest to warm honey slightly so it blends smoothly with milk and eggs. Cardamom stands out if fresh—adds complexity that matches panettone’s mildness better than cinnamon, which can dominate. Using unsalted butter is important for control; salted butter tends to cloud brown butter aroma and caramel balance. Panettone slices should be thick but no thicker than 5 cm to ensure quick, even soaking and frying. For the marmalade syrup, a homemade or quality store option works, but reduce sugar slightly to avoid excessive sweetness since panettone is already sugary. Greek yogurt cuts richness but swap with coconut cream for dairy-free. If amaretti unavailable, crushed biscotti or toasted nuts add crunch but watch salt levels. Citrus garnish can vary seasonally, but acidic and juicy is key to balance richness.
Method
Panettone Soak and Cook
- 1 Preheat oven rack to middle position; set oven to 190°C 375°F (lowered 10%).
- 2 Whisk milk, honey, eggs, vanilla, and cardamom briskly until uniform. Honey integrates better warm if needed; avoid overbeating to prevent foam.
- 3 Dunk each panettone slice fully, flip to soak both sides evenly. Let rest 6 minutes, allowing center to absorb mixture but remain intact. Avoid sogginess - panettone is delicate.
- 4 Melt half the butter (30 g) in a heavy skillet over medium-high. You want browned butter aroma, light nutty color—listen for gentle sizzling, not burning.
- 5 Place 3 panettone slices; they should hiss softly on contact. Flip when deep golden caramel crust forms, about 2-3 minutes each side. Use spatula carefully to keep slices whole.
- 6 Remove cooked slices on plate, tent loosely with foil.
- 7 Add remaining butter, toss in all slices back, transfer skillet to oven. Bake 7 minutes or until center feels warm and slightly springy. Visual cue: edges slightly crisp, no raw smell.
- 8 Meanwhile, in separate pan over medium heat, combine marmalade, butter, orange juice, and sugar. Bring to lively simmer.
- 9 Reduce heat to medium-low. Stir occasionally to prevent sticky burning. Syrup thickens with slight clinginess coating spoon in 6-7 minutes. Sniff citrus tang, sweetness balance.
- 10 Plate warm panettone slices, ladle marmalade syrup generously on top. Don't drown; syrup should pool slightly but not soak through crust.
- 11 Dollop yogurt or coconut cream over slices. Sprinkle with crushed amaretti for crunch contrast, aroma of almonds.
- 12 Scatter fresh orange or grapefruit segments around; acidity cuts richness, brightens palate.
- Serve immediately. Cooler air scents hint at brown butter and citrus zest, texture balance in each bite.
- If panettone crumb feels dry initially, soak a little longer but avoid collapse. Use older panettone to reduce waste. If no amaretti, substitute with crushed biscotti or crunchy granola for texture.
Marmalade Syrup
Assembly
Technique Tips
Precise soaking is crucial: too short, crumb remains dry; too long, bread becomes fragile and hard to handle during frying. Watch texture not just time. Butter must brown but not blacken—if it smokes, lower heat and wipe pan to avoid bitter burnt flavor. Caramelization on panettone triggers flavor development, don’t rush flipping. In the oven, the goal is warming through without drying out. For syrup, reduction signals when a spoon coated with syrup leaves a thick trail without dripping immediately—classic jam stage. Avoid boiling aggressively; simmer control develops flavor and polish. Assembly matters. Syrup hot, slices warm, yogurt cool, amaretti dry and crunchy, all contrast in mouthfeel. Crunch disappears fast if syrup soaks. Use fresh citrus segments for brightness and mild acidity. Timing plating to serve immediately preserves textures. If needed, warm slices lightly before serving to regain crispness but don’t overheat or slices toughen.
Chef's Notes
- 💡 Choose slightly stale panettone. Staleness helps prevent collapse during soaking. Watch soaking time carefully. Too long makes it mushy, too short risks dryness.
- 💡 Brown butter until lightly nutty, avoid burning. Listen for gentle sizzling. If it smokes, lower heat. Clean pan between batches for consistent color. Flip slices only when golden.
- 💡 Mix honey well into milk and eggs. Warm honey first for better blending. Cardamom adds floral notes. Always adjust seasonings based on taste.
- 💡 For marmalade syrup, simmer slowly. Infuse flavors properly. Thick enough to cling to spoon, too thin lacks richness. If syrup clumps, reheat gently to loosen.
- 💡 Add crushed amaretti at the last moment. Crunchiness fades fast once syrup hits. Layer textures: creamy yogurt, warm syrup, crunchy topping. Balance is key.
