Bread Pudding French Toast

Bread Pudding French Toast
Serves 4

 Josh has been craving french toast, and while I try to avoid both sugar and wheat, I do allow the occasional indulgence, and making something homemade is the only way I allow myself to indulge. This recipe is the ultimate in the french toast world, definitely the best indulgence I can come up with.


Ingredients: 
1 loaf of challah or brioche, allowed to sit out and dry the night before, and then cut into large cubes (about 1.5″)

4 eggs, beaten
2 cups milk (or buttermilk is good too)
1 teaspoon vanilla, or seeds scraped from one fresh vanilla bean
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons maple syrup (or honey, or sweetener of your choice)
1 tablespoon butter


Instructions:
For this recipe I used a loaf pan, used for making things like banana bread., . Butter the dish.
Whisk the milk, vanilla, cinnamon, salt and sugar into the eggs.
Pour the custard mixture over the bread and toss. Press lightly into the loaf pan.

Let sit and soak for at least an hour - up to overnight. Mix well and agin press into the loaf pan into a loaf shape.Preheat the oven to 375 F. Bake until lightly golden brown and a toothpick inserted in several spots comes out dry. This will take about 45 minutes. Take out and let it cool completely - even refrigerating it an additional night, if you have the time.

When cool slice the loaf into "bread slices"

Then make another custard with 2 beaten eggs and 2 cups of milk to coat your slices in. 
Then pan fry in butter until crispy on both sides. 

Serve with warm Maple syrup.
YUM!