By Fourth Christmas married. Fourth Christmas tree. Nora's first Christmas she'll experience. She has been watching the tree lights with the full-face attention she gives to beautiful things for three weeks now and I won't apologize for having turned the lights on early this year, before Thanksgiving even, because the year needed the lights and the kids needed the lights and I needed the lights.
Christmas Eve at St. Brigid's—outdoor, masked, the congregation spread across the parking lot with the church doors open and the choir singing from inside. We stood in the December cold with the kids bundled and Liam looking at the stars and asking questions and Nora asleep on Sean's shoulder through the whole service. The mass ended and we walked home through Southie in the dark and the cold and Liam said "Merry Christmas, Mama" unprompted, carefully, with the quality of something he'd been deciding to say all evening. I said "Merry Christmas, Liam." We walked home.
Christmas morning: Sean's French toast. Liam's presents. Nora's first real engagement with a Christmas stocking—she pulled things out with both hands and dropped them on the blanket with the executive energy of someone taking inventory. She picked up Maureen's knitted ornament and held it and looked at Liam. He said "that one's yours." She put it in her mouth. That's hers.
Pandemic Christmas. The family on FaceTime in the afternoon. The apartment warm. The kids present. We came through 2020. I'm putting it down here: we came through it.
Sean’s French toast has been the centerpiece of our Christmas morning for years now, and this year—after everything 2020 asked of us—it meant more than ever. There is something about a warm, unhurried breakfast on Christmas morning, with the tree lights still on and the kids still in pajamas, that holds the whole day together. These are the holiday breakfast recipes I keep coming back to, the ones that make the apartment smell like something good is happening, because sometimes the most important thing you can do is make something good happen right in your own kitchen.
25+ Best Holiday Breakfast Recipes
Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Total Time: 35 min | Servings: 4–6
Ingredients
- 8 thick slices brioche or challah bread
- 3 large eggs
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- Powdered sugar, for dusting
- Warm maple syrup, for serving
- Fresh berries or sliced fruit, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Make the custard. In a wide, shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, and sugar until fully combined.
- Heat the pan. Set a large skillet or griddle over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of butter and let it melt until foamy but not browned.
- Soak the bread. Working in batches, dip each slice of bread into the custard mixture, letting it soak for about 20–30 seconds per side so it absorbs fully without falling apart.
- Cook the French toast. Place soaked slices into the buttered pan. Cook for 3–4 minutes per side, until deep golden brown and cooked through. Add the remaining tablespoon of butter when cooking the second batch.
- Keep warm. Transfer finished slices to a baking sheet in a 200°F oven to keep warm while you cook the rest.
- Serve. Arrange on a platter, dust generously with powdered sugar, and serve with warm maple syrup and fresh fruit alongside.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 320 | Protein: 10g | Fat: 12g | Carbs: 42g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 280mg