Pumpkin French Toast

This is an amazing recipe for french toast. It makes me think of fall and leaves changing and those cool crisp mornings... Can you tell I am more than ready for fall to be here:) This is a good weekend breakfast becuase you can make it the night before and then its ready for you the following morning. Its also a good recipe for a nice brunch. I made it this weekend and it was a huge hit. I hope you enjoy it.

1 loaf of unsliced good fresh white bread or a brioche-style bread
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
pinch coarse salt
1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree
1/2 cup half and half
4 large eggs
2 tbsp orange liqueue or orange juice will work just fine
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 grated orange zest


Trim ends of bread and cut crosswise into 12 (1 inch ) thick slices. Combine sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a meduim bowl. Whisk in pumpkin, half and half, liqueur, ginger, vanilla, orange zest. Pour mixture into a large pan (8x13) . Add bread slices to pan and then turn over slices. You want to make sure that both sides are covered with the mixture. Cover pan with wrap and then refrigerate overnight.
The next morning preheat oven to 200 degrees. Heat a large griddle or skillet over meduim heat. Add oil or butter and melt , then add your slices of french toast. Once they are golden brown place in oven on a heat safe plate. Continue till all bread is done. Serve with butter and warm maple syrup.