Panettone French Toast Skewers with Blueberry Compote

Panettone French Toast Skewers with Blueberry Compote
Serves 6
This is my favorite Sunday breakfast! The panettone is Italian bread studded with dried fruits and sometimes chocolate chips. It has much more flavor than the traditional French bread used for this type of preparation. You can make your own panettone with the recipe on this site or opt for the store bought variety. I’ve used both and both are delicious. The blueberry compote is a welcome accompaniment. Tart and sweet at the same, you’ll never miss the syrup!

French Toast:
1 (1.1 pound; 500 gram) loaf panettone bread, baking paper removed
6 large eggs
3/4 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup whole milk
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
Zest of 1 medium orange
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 medium bananas, sliced
Powdered sugar, for dusting

Blueberry Compote:
1 pint blueberries (about 2 cups)
6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 pint strawberries (about 1 cup)

Compote:
Heat blueberries, strawberries, lemon juice, and salt in a saucepan over medium heat until berries begin to burst, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in sugar. Simmer, stirring often, until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, and allow to cool.

Meanwhile, prepare the French toast: Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Trim the bottom crust of the panettone. Starting at the bottom end of the panettone, cut it crosswise into 6 (3/4-inch thick) round slices (reserve the top piece for toast!). Cut each slice into large cubes. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until well blended. Add the cream, milk, orange juice, zest, cinnamon, nutmeg, and sugar and whisk until well mixed. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter on a large nonstick griddle over medium heat. Dip 8-10 cubes panettone into the custard, turning to allow all sides to absorb the custard. Grill the soaked panettone cubes until they are golden brown and firm to the touch, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer the French toast to a baking sheet and keep them warm in the oven. Repeat with the remaining butter, panettone cubes, and custard.

Transfer the French toast to skewers separating each cube with a slice of banana. Lightly dust with the powdered sugar. Serve immediately with blueberry compote on the side.