Baked French Toast

I got the idea for this recipe from a friend's blog: Yummy Food Dance - but I made some changes, so here's my modified version. This french toast is very rich and needs no syrup or sauce - it's baked right on! You really need to serve it with something to cut the sweetness and richness - I chose salty bacon, but you could also serve it with fresh fruit, plain yogurt, or unsweetened whipped cream.

Ingredients

• 4 Tbsp. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/3 C. brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp. maple syrup
• 6 slices (1/2 inch thick) of eggy bread (brioche, challah, croissant, etc)
• 3 eggs
• 3/4 C. buttermilk (you could use regular milk, but I think the tang of buttermilk is a good contrast)
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• pinch of salt

In a small saucepan, melt butter, brown sugar, and syrup over low heat, and stir until smooth. Pour into the bottom of an 8x8 square baking pan. Arrange bread slices on top of the syrup in two layers, cutting the bread to fit as necessary. In a small bowl whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, vanilla, and salt. Pour evenly over bread, pushing down on the bread if necessary to make sure it is evenly coated. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown and puffy on top.

Cool for 5 minutes, then slice into 4 squares, and flip upside down to serve.