Le Puy Inn Pain Perdu (Oven Baked French Toast)

Hi everyone,

Here is the recipe for our oven baked French toast since you've been asking!  It is a favorite of mine from my childhood.  My mother used to make it the night before and I'd see it in the fridge and have sweet dreams till morning!  Pain Perdu is French for 'lost bread' and is what the French do with their older baguettes!

For 12 servings:
Three 1/2 lb baguettes cut into 1 1/2" thick slices (we use whole wheat, a few days old and crusty the better!)
6 eggs
3 cups almond milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp cardamom
1/8 tsp cinnamon

Grease 9"x13" baking pan.  Fill dish with bread slices.  Mix milk, eggs, vanilla and spices.  Pour over bread.  Refrigerate overnight.

Topping:
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp. maple syrup
1 cup pecans
1 banana, sliced
fruit of the season - blueberries, strawberries, apples, blackberries etc.
Cut butter, sugar, syrup and pecans together.  Sprinkle on top of the bread.  Top evenly with the fruit.

Bake 45-50 minutes at 350 degrees.  let stand 5 minutes.  Approx. 3 slices per serving.