Add Martha Stewart's Secret Boozy Ingredient To French Toast For A Citrus Pop

What better way is there to spend an indulgent, relaxing morning than treating yourself to a luxurious breakfast at home? If that type of morning feels like French toast to you, then you should try adding in a splash of Martha Stewart's secret ingredient — orange liqueur — to your next batch.  In fact, it's one of her one-ingredient wonders to zhuzh up common dishes.

Now, this recipe is full of orange flavor without its boozy secret weapon, as it contains both orange juice and the zest of an orange. Adding in the orange liqueur — specifically Grand Marnier — amplifies those tart and acidic notes, cutting beautifully through the richness of the custard-soaked, buttery brioche bread. In theory, any orange liqueur would work in this recipe, but what sets Grand Marnier apart from other orange liqueurs like Triple Sec is its Cognac backbone, giving extra coziness with the mouth-watering baking spices like vanilla and cinnamon.

For Martha Stewart's recipe, you'll incorporate the Grand Marnier into the custard along with sugar, vanilla, and eggs (plus, of course, the orange). Some French toast enthusiasts suggest toasting the bread prior to soaking, as it helps to ward off a soggy piece of toast. Toasting isn't mentioned in Stewart's tips for this recipe, but she does recommend not soaking each piece of French toast for too long — a quick dip and flip is all that's necessary.

You can take Martha Stewart's already fabulous French toast recipe to the next level by stuffing it. You'll want a rich bread as Stewart suggests, such as brioche or challah. Each slice should be around 2 inches thick for this. Before you dunk the bread, make a cut into the top of the bread — the idea is to make a pocket for the filling. You can use cream cheese as the base for what you will pipe into the pocket, or you can opt for mascarpone — a versatile cheese used in everything from savory pasta dishes to sweet treats like cannoli. Mascarpone is silky smooth and milder in tang than cream cheese or ricotta cheese, which it is commonly confused with.

When blending together your cheese of choice with sugar and vanilla, throw in a splash — or four — of Grand Marnier for even more boozy, citrusy deliciousness. A pro tip here is to let the filling mixture rest in the fridge overnight, so the orange flavors fully infuse the filling. For an extra decadent finishing touch, skip the syrup and opt for a drizzle of melted dark chocolate with a zest of fresh orange on top. The combination of bitter, sweet, tart, and tangy is truly fantastic.