Baked Pear Vanilla French Toast with Buttermilk Caramel Syrup

This is supposed to be a breakfast food, but it was soooo delicious that I would also consider it a dessert. It could go either way! I also love the fact that you can prepare it the night before, refrigerate it, and then pop it in the oven the next morning when you want to eat it. It is the perfect food for a holiday breakfast, which is exactly what I used it for. Happy Easter! It is delicious, impressive, quick, and easy.

I also used a recipe from Our Best Bites for Buttermilk Caramel Syrup to serve with it. This could also be made the night before, refrigerated, and used the next day. Mmmm. 

Look at those pears!

First, the french toast:

Baked Pear Vanilla French Toast
Originally from The Reluctant Entertainer, found on Pinterest via: Taste and Tell

serves 6 to 8...to however many you cut from a 9x13 pan

total prep time: 10 minutes
inactive time: overnight
baking time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

1 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 tablespoons water
3 fresh pears: peeled, sliced, and cored (I sliced mine in rings)
4 cups French bread, cut/torn into small pieces (About a whole loaf)
1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped
9 eggs
2 cups milk
2 teaspoons vanilla

Melt the butter and brown sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the water and continue heating until bubbly. Remove from heat and pour into a well-greased 9″x13″ baking pan, making sure to spread it evenly. Arrange the pears on top of the brown sugar mixture. Sprinkle the bread evenly over the pears, then sprinkle with the chopped nuts. Beat the eggs, milk and vanilla together and pour evenly over the entire mixture. Press the bread down with a spatula once you have poured the egg mixture on top to make sure the bread soaks up the liquid.Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350F. Bake uncovered for 40 minutes or until it becomes puffy and the eggs are no longer runny. 

Sauce poured, pears layered, and topped with bread, now just waiting for the nuts and then egg mixture!

Wait 40 minutes...

Voila!

Delicious from every angle.

Secondly, the sauce:

Buttermilk Caramel Syrup

From Our Best Bites

Ingredients:

3/4 c. buttermilk
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 stick real butter
2 Tbsp. corn syrup
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla

Combine buttermilk, sugar, butter, corn syrup, and baking soda in a LARGE soup pot.

Bring ingredients to a boil and reduce heat to low (as long as it’s still bubbling, you’re okay). Cook, stirring very frequently, for 8-9 minutes. This requires constant vigilance.

When it’s done, it should take on a golden-brown color. Remove from heat and add vanilla.

Before

During

After: The delicious results.

 The beauty of it all coming together!

Pears sliced into rings lay flatter and more evenly on the bottom of the pan.

Delicious served warm or cold.

Let's eat!