pumpkin spice baked french toast

happy autumnal equinox today.  it's officially fall, and we're on a pumpkin roll over here!  recently we made pumpkin spice french toast which was out of this world.  keeping with the pumpkin breakfast theme, we also recently made pumpkin spice baked french toast.

there's something wonderful about baked french toast.  it's like bread pudding for breakfast.  cubes of bread get covered with pumpkin goodness and spices, then topped with chopped walnuts and brown sugar, and baked until crusty.  yum!

this recipe is a great way to use up any old bread that you have sitting around (like the stale old white and wheat rolls that we recently inherited from a co-worker's family reunion).  it's a warm and comforting breakfast that will put you right in the mood for crisp autumn air, apple cider, and colorful leaves.

pumpkin spice baked french toast
prep time: 10 minutes
baking time: 30 minutes
yields: 4-6 servings

ingredients:
10-12 rolls (or thick bread) cut into cubes
1/2 cup pure pumpkin puree
4 large eggs
3/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

directions:
preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.  arrange the bread cubes evenly in a greased 9x13-inch baking dish (making sure you have enough bread to cover the baking dish).  in a separate bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, eggs, milk, vanilla, and spices.  pour the mixture over the bread and toss to make sure that all of the bread is evenly coated.  evenly distribute the brown sugar and the chopped nuts across the top of the bread.  bake for approximately 30 minutes until brown and cooked throughout.  serve hot, dusted with powdered sugar and with maple syrup.

enjoy!

love, laurie