1 loaf french bread  •  6 eggs  •  2 1/2 C milk  •  1 C pumpkin puree
3/4 C sugar  •  2 T pure vanilla extract  •  1 T vanilla bean paste
1 T pumpkin pie spice  •  1/2 tsp nutmeg 

So happy that it is fall. I am a sucker for this time of year and everything that it brings, colors, smells, gatherings, fall decor, warm clothes, brisk air and more importantly fall foods, ha. Many of you that have been following me for some time know that I love pumpkin and try to incorporate it in as many food creations as possible during the fall and winter months. You probably also know that I have been eating wheat-free for some time, so I am sure it may come as a shock to you that I am posting something with WHEAT in it. Hey, my husband and kiddos have to eat too you know! So, here I am sharing with you yet another family pumpkin favorite. This is a quick, easy and delicious breakfast to serve to guests, friends and family alike. The pumpkin french toast is served with a warm buttery maple syrup – you can’t go wrong with this breakfast duo.

Refrigerate over night
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Directions:
Grease a 9 x 13 baking pan. Tear or dice apart the french loaf and place evenly in the pan. In a large bowl, mix together the eggs, milk, pumpkin, sugar, vanilla extract and paste, pumpkin pie spice and nutmeg. Pour this mixture evenly over the french bread in the pan and cover. Refrigerate for at least four hours, best if you let it set overnight.
Before you are ready to bake the pumpkin french toast you will want to mix together your streusel topping (recipe below). Sprinkle streusel topping evenly over the top of the pumpkin french toast and bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes, uncovered, until the top is golden and bubbly. Serve with a warm maple butter syrup and enjoy!

Serves 6

Streusel Topping
1/2 C flour  •  1/2 C brown sugar  •  1 tsp cinnamon  •  1/2 tsp nutmeg  •  1/2 tsp salt  •  1/2 C butter, cold and diced

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Cut in the cold butter, using a fork or your fingers work the ingredients together until you have a course mixture. The mixture should be grainy with some larger and smaller chunks.

Buttery Maple Syrup
1 C maple syrup  •  1/3 C butter

In a small sauce pan on medium heat, warm the maple syrup. Place the 1/3 C of butter in the sauce pan and allow to melt. Do NOT stir the butter into the syrup, once the mixture begins to bubble gently pick up the sauce pan and rotate the pan until the butter is combined. Turn the heat to low and allow the syrup to thicken for several more minutes before serving.

Notes: If you don’t have any vanilla paste at home no problem, you can use 1 vanilla bean or just leave it out. I only use it for added vanilla flavor and I like seeing the vanilla bean specks in my food. I also like to add 1/2 cup of chopped pecans to the streusel topping for a little crunch.

… hope you all have a happy Thursday!