By Our first Christmas married. I've been thinking about how to write that—our first Christmas married—and it sounds both monumental and also like every other Christmas we've spent together since we were twenty-two. We've been together long enough that married is a formalization of something that was already true. But it's also true that something changed when we signed the license, and on Christmas morning it was visible in the way Sean looked at me across the kitchen while I was making eggs, like he was checking something off a list he didn't know he had.
I'm twenty-seven weeks. Liam was busy all morning, the most active I've felt him since the anatomy scan. Sean put his hand on my stomach while we were still in bed and Liam kicked twice and Sean said "Merry Christmas, buddy" very quietly, like it was just between the two of them.
We did Christmas Eve at my parents' in Dorchester—midnight mass at St. Brigid's, which I haven't skipped in thirty years. Christmas morning was ours, just us. Sean made French toast from the sourdough I'd been keeping, with maple syrup and powdered sugar, and we ate in the living room with the tree lights on and Christmas music playing on the kitchen speaker. Then we went to Sean's parents' in the afternoon, then my parents' in the evening. It's a long day at twenty-seven weeks. My feet swelled by six PM.
Maureen gave us a hand-embroidered stocking for Liam. His name in green and white. She'd made it herself. I didn't know she embroidered. When I said so, she looked almost shy about it, which is not a word I'd previously associated with Maureen Donovan. I hung it on the mantel next to ours before we left.
First Christmas married. One more before Liam gets here.
Sean’s version that morning was simple — sourdough, maple syrup, powdered sugar — but when I went looking for a recipe to share here, I wanted something that matched the feeling of that day a little more fully: the tree lights, the quiet, the sense that this particular morning was worth dressing up. This Lamington French Toast with Raspberry Jam Syrup does exactly that. It takes the familiar comfort of French toast and layers in something a little more celebratory, the way our first Christmas married felt — ordinary and extraordinary at the same time.
Lamington French Toast with Raspberry Jam Syrup
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes | Servings: 2–3
Ingredients
- 4 thick slices sourdough bread (about 1 inch thick)
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon caster sugar
- 1/2 cup desiccated coconut
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, for frying
- Powdered sugar, for dusting
- Raspberry Jam Syrup:
- 1/3 cup raspberry jam
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- Fresh raspberries, to serve (optional)
Instructions
- Make the raspberry syrup. Combine the raspberry jam, water, and lemon juice in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir until the jam loosens and the mixture becomes a smooth, pourable syrup, about 3–4 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Prepare the egg mixture. In a wide, shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, vanilla extract, and caster sugar until well combined.
- Coat in coconut. Spread the desiccated coconut on a plate. Dip each slice of sourdough into the egg mixture, letting it soak for about 20–30 seconds per side. Press each soaked slice gently into the coconut to coat both sides evenly.
- Cook the French toast. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large non-stick skillet or griddle over medium heat. Cook the coconut-coated slices in batches, 3–4 minutes per side, until deep golden and the coconut is toasted. Add the remaining butter as needed between batches.
- Serve. Arrange the French toast on plates, dust with powdered sugar, drizzle generously with the warm raspberry jam syrup, and scatter fresh raspberries alongside if using. Serve immediately.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 480 | Protein: 14g | Fat: 18g | Carbs: 65g | Fiber: 4g | Sodium: 340mg