The Irish Whiskey Trick To Really Wake Up Your French Toast

You've tried adding honey, swapped your choice of bread and added vanilla beans, mixed pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spices into the batter, and sprinkled cardamom on top of pieces of French toast. Now get ready to try a boozy twist that can bring depth and even more sweet, caramel flavors onto your breakfast plates. If you're needing something extra to look forward to tomorrow morning, a new French toast recipe might help you sprint out of bed.

As sweet and comforting as a traditional French toast recipe might be, Irish whiskey can make it even better and the combo isn't as out there as it might initially seem. Bourbon is often included in casseroles and glazes for good reason, and since Irish whiskey is aged in barrels that have been used to make bourbon, the two spirits share similar flavor notes that lead to culinary perfection. Distilled from malted cereal grain, Irish whiskey labels can offer flavors of oak, charred toast, peat, cinnamon, vanilla, and honey — all tastes that can spruce up a serving of French toast.

To give your French toast a flavorful kick of whiskey, add a few splashes to the custard mix that you'll dip your toast in. If you're worried about boozing up your brunch guests, fear not: The alcohol cooks off, leaving behind subtle, lingering flavors.

Still, play it safe and pour conservatively when you add your whiskey to the custard mix. Even a bit of booze can be noticeable, as the molecules cling to fat and water. If the flavors you intend to serve are lacking, you can always add more alcohol as you go, but it will be difficult to course correct if you splash too much booze into your milky egg mixture.

To finish your enhanced servings of French toast, consider topping plates with sprinkles of candied pecans or zests of orange to complement the whiskey you've added to your decadent morning spread.