Panettone French Toast

1. Whisk the eggs, milk, cream, caster sugar, vanilla, orange zest and salt together in a wide shallow dish.
2. Lay the panettone slices in the custard and soak for 30 seconds a side. No longer. Panettone is far more open than brioche and drinks the custard quickly, and a slice left too long will collapse when you lift it.
3. Melt half the butter in a large frying pan over medium-low heat.
4. Cook two slices at a time for 2 to 3 minutes a side, until deep golden. Keep the heat moderate. The sugar and candied fruit in panettone catch much faster than plain bread, so a hot pan will give you a burnt crust over a raw middle.
5. Wipe the pan out with kitchen paper, add the rest of the butter and cook the remaining slices.
6. Serve straight away with a spoonful of mascarpone, the berries, a dusting of icing sugar and maple syrup poured over at the table.

Make it ahead: mix the custard the night before and keep it covered in the fridge. Whisk it again before you use it.

If your panettone is fresh: cut the slices and leave them uncovered on a rack for an hour or two to dry out before you start.

For more ways to use the rest of it, see panettone trifle and panettone bread and butter pudding, or read what panettone actually is.