Swirling with, pecans, cinnamon, butter and maple syrup, this decadent creation puffs up like a soufflé in the oven. You and your guests will be inspired to linger over a leisurely morning table with a second mimosa.

We recently baked a loaf of twisted cinnamon bread, which is never better than on the morning it comes out of the oven. Since our Arctic kitchen is quite arid, items left out tend to dry out quickly, which gives us the opportunity to get creative with leftovers.

Overnight French toast is not a new recipe for us. But starting with a base of this wonderful twisted cinnamon bread was new. Soaking the bread overnight in an egg and cream mixture causes the bread to puff up magically during baking. Drizzled with maple syrup and served with a strip of thick bacon this cinnamon loaf French toast was a great way to start a weekend!

Twisted Cinnamon Bread Overnight French Toast

Ingredients

• 8 inch-thick slices twisted cinnamon bread
• 5 eggs
• 1 cup half and half or heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup whole milk or soy milk
• 2 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

Ingredients for pecan topping:

• 4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
• 4 tbsp packed brown sugar
• 1 cup chopped pecans

Directions

1. Butter an 8 x 8 inch glass baking dish.
2. Lay slices of bread on bottom of glass baking dish.
3. Thoroughly mix together eggs, cream, milk, sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon.
4. Pour egg mixture over bread. Cover dish and place in refrigerator overnight.
5. Bring bread mixture out of refrigerator and set on counter to come toward room temperature while preheating oven to 350 degrees F.
6. Prepare pecan topping by mixing butter, pecans, and brown sugar.
7. Bake for 20 minutes then top with pecan mixture.
8. Continue baking another 20 minutes, until golden and puffed.
9. Serve with maple syrup.