Can I make a secret holiday confession? Until this year, I never tried eggnog before! It’s almost ridiculous, considering how much I love a holiday-themed drink, that I waited this long to finally try it. My friends at Hood shared some of their eggnog with me to try and it was delicious; I’ve clearly been missing out on this sweet and delectable seasonal drink. Once I tried my first sip, I realized I better do my research and get to the bottom of the best (and creative!) ways to serve this drink at the holidays so that I can make sure the rest of my friends and family don’t miss out like I did for so long.
With a little leftover eggnog in the fridge, I thought it would be the perfect time to experiment with it in a tasty baked treat: Eggnog French Toast Muffins with a crumbly walnut topping. To make them, I started with a traditional French toast recipe of eggs, milk, vanilla, and bread – but instead of milk I used the sweet and creamy Hood eggnog to give the recipe more flavor and richness. After assembling the French toast muffin base, I topped each one with a crumbly mixture of walnuts, brown sugar and butter for texture and more sweetness.
Serve the warm breakfast treats with butter and real maple syrup while they’re still piping hot. And since the holidays are a season where the extra calories don’t count, I say add some whipped cream to the top of your breakfast while you’re at it. You can make your own eggnog infused whipped cream by using 1/3 cup of eggnog whipped together with 1 cup of heavy whipping cream and a tablespoon or so of confectioners sugar.
- 6 Eggs
- 1 Cup of Hood Eggnog
- 1 Tbsp. of Vanilla Extract
- 1 Tsp. of Cinnamon
- ¼ Tsp. of Salt
- One large loaf of day old Brioche (about 8-9 cups cubed)
- ¾ Cup of Chopped Walnuts
- 1.5 Tbsp. of Melted Butter
- 2 Tbsp. of Brown Sugar
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, eggnog, vanilla extract, cinnamon and salt.
- Cube the stale brioche into 1” pieces and toss with the egg mixture.
- Scoop the bread and egg mixture into a lightly greased muffin tin; fill the cups so they’re heaping with the mixture.
- In a small bowl, combine the chopped walnuts, melted butter and brown sugar.
- Scoop the walnut crumbles onto the top of each muffin, pressing down slightly to get the nuts to stick to the bread.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the top of the muffins turn golden brown.
- Serve warm with butter, real maple syrup, or homemade eggnog whipped cream.
Please note: this post was created in partnership with Hood. All opinions, images, and ideas are my own. Thank you for supporting brands that support this site!
