Baked French Toast with Pecans

By cindygwest

From Steep Acres Farm Bed and Breakfast. Dish is made a day ahead so easy to put in oven in the morning.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup maple syrup (the real stuff)
• 1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
• 8 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups light cream (or half and half)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 loaf challah (1 inch thick) or 1 loaf egg bread, sliced (1 inch thick)
• maple syrup, warmed, for serving

Preparation

Step 1

1
Stir butter, brown sugar and maple syrup in heavy saucepan over medium heat until melted and smooth. Pour into 9" X 13" glass baking dish. Sprinkle pecans over butter mixture.
2
Whisk eggs, cream, cinnamon and vanilla in large bowl to blend. Dip bread slices into egg mixture and arrange in single layer in prepared dish.
3
Pour remaining egg mixture over bread slices in dish. Cover with plastic wrap and refridgerate overnight.
4
Preheat oven to 350F/180°C Bake French toast uncovered until golden brown and puffed and knife inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes.
5
Cut into six pieces. Serve pecan-side up with additional warm maple syrup.