Baked Pumpkin French Toast

Perfect for feeding a crowd, this baked French toast was rich with flavor and received so many compliments! This easy recipe must be assembled in advance to allow enough time for the bread to soak in the batter. The crunchy, caramelized crust from the pecans and sprinkled sugar is divine. I’ll be making this recipe again and again!

Adapted from: Baked French Toast, Martha Stewart Living, November 2010

Ingredients

10-12 slices day-old brioche or Challah (about ¾ inch thick)

6 large eggs

¾ cup cooked or canned pumpkin

1 cup milk (whole or 2% preferred)

⅓ cup heavy cream

½ cup sugar or vanilla sugar, divided

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

¼ teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon coarse salt

1 cup pecans (coarsely chopped or crushed)

Toppings:

1 cup sweetened whipped cream

Maple syrup

Additional nutmeg for garnish

Directions

Beat 6 large eggs in a bowl. Whisk in pumpkin, milk, heavy cream, ¼ cup sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt.

Working in batches, dip brioche slices into batter to coat. Overlap brioches slices in a 9-by-13-inch ceramic or glass baking dish. Pour remaining batter over top. Refrigerate, covered, for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Top with pecans and sprinkle with remaining ¼ cup sugar. Bake, covered with parchment-lined foil, for 25 minutes. Uncover; bake until top is golden brown and crunchy, 20 to 25 minutes more. Serve with favorite toppings.