Breakfast French Toast

I always make this breakfast dish for visiting house guests, and it never fails to impress (they don't realize it's so easy to make). The recipe is from my cousin Celeste, who's married to a wonderful French guy whose mother is a great pastry baker back in France. A French friend told me that this dish is also called Pain Perdu ("lost" bread) in France, because it uses left-over, day-old French bread/baguette.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar

3/4 cup unsalted butter

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons corn syrup

10 (1 3/4-inch) slices French baguette

4 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 1/2 cups milk (for an extra rich Christmas brunch, use eggnog)
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons sugar
11/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350°F.

Combine the brown sugar, butter, and corn syrup in a medium saucepan.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly for 5 minutes, or until mixture is bubbly. Pour syrup mixture evenly into a lightly greased 13x9 inch baking dish. 

Arrange bread slices over syrup, making sure they’re tightly packed.

Combine the eggs, milk, vanilla, and salt in a bowl; stir well.  Gradually pour the mixture over the bread slices. Cover and chill overnight or at least for 8 hours.

Combine the sugar and ground cinnamon in a small bowl. Sprinkle evenly over soaked bread. Drizzle melted butter over bread. Bake, uncovered, for 45-50 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Serve hot. Serves 6-8.