CHRISTMAS, DECEMBER 25

WAKE-AND-BAKE EGGNOG FRENCH TOAST

Give yourself a gift this Christmas season, in the form of decadent challah or brioche soaked in leftover eggnog, then fried in cannabutter and topped with maple syrup. Go ahead, you deserve it! Hopefully your stocking is stuffed with some nice ganja, so you can stoke your appetite with a few bong hits before chowing down. In the meantime, here’s the surprisingly psychedelic true story of Santa Claus!

It turns out that the origin of old St. Nick dates back to the nomadic Laplanders who lived in Scandinavia’s frozen tundra. These ancient peoples observed their reindeer eating a curious mushroom, one that was cloaked in red and white, a.k.a. Amanita muscaria, and since they had little to do for recreation other than staring into bonfires, the Laplanders ate the psychedelic spores and flew around the world, that is, tripping on mushrooms. Eventually a mystery cult grew around the experience, and certain Laplanders would dress in red and white suits and bring home sacks full of mushrooms as presents! This is the hidden origin of Santa Claus, who lives at the North Pole, dresses in red and white, and drives a team of flying reindeer around the world to bring gifts, so remember this story Christmas morning while you’re enjoying some stony French toast.

STONES 12

cups eggnog or heavy cream

4 eggs

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon nutmeg

8 teaspoons Simple Cannabutter (see recipe) plus more for serving

12 slices challah or brioche

Maple syrup, for serving

1. Preheat the oven to 200°F and set a baking sheet on a rack in the middle of the oven.

2. In a shallow dish, whisk together the eggnog, eggs, cinnamon, and nutmeg and set aside.

3. Melt 4 teaspoons of cannabutter in a large skillet over medium heat. Dredge each piece of bread in the eggnog mixture, about 15 seconds for each side. Then, fry the bread in the melted cannabutter, piece by piece, until golden brown on each side. As the bread soaks up the cannabutter, add more for each batch, teaspoon by teaspoon. When you finish a piece of French toast, move it to the baking sheet in the oven to keep it warm. Serve with additional cannabutter (if desired) and maple syrup.