Easy Pecan Pie French Toast

 This was so easy and so good. Even better as a left over! Recipe is from The Pioneer Woman. I halved the recipe and did it in a 8x8 pan.

Butter or nonstick spray 

1 loaf French bread, about 18" long 

8 large eggs 

1 c. whole milk 

1 c. heavy cream 

1/4 c. light brown sugar 

2 tbsp. granulated sugar 

1 tsp. cinnamon 

1 tbsp. vanilla extract 

FOR THE PECAN PIE TOPPING: 

1 1/2 c. pecans 

1 stick butter 

1 1/2 c. packed light brown sugar 

1/2 c. light corn syrup 

1/3 c. maple syrup

1 Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  For the french toast: Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with butter or nonstick spray. Cut the bread into 16 slices, about 1-inch thick.  

2 In a large bowl, mix together the eggs, milk, cream, sugars, cinnamon and vanilla. Dip slices of bread, four at a time, in the egg mixture. Let each slice rest in the mixture for 1 minute per side (2 minutes total). Once soaked, place the slices in the baking dish, shingling them slightly. Continue until all of the bread has been soaked. Pour any remaining egg mixture over top of the bread and let rest while you make the topping. 

3 For the topping: Roughly chop the pecans, leaving some whole. Combine the butter, brown sugar, corn syrup and maple syrup. Once the sugar is dissolved, remove from the heat and stir in the pecans. Place spoonfuls of the mixture all over the top of the bread.

4 Cover and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and continue baking for 25-30 more minutes, until the egg custard is set and the topping is golden brown. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving. 

5 Cut into squares and serve with a drizzle of syrup from the bottom of the pan.