Ingredients

• 1 pound brioche or challah bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 cup pecan halves, toasted
• 6 eggs
• 2 cup whole milk
• 0.5 cup maple syrup
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 0.25 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 0.25 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoon butter, melted
• 3 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 tablespoon powdered sugar

Steps

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Spread the pecan halves on a small baking sheet and toast for 5 minutes until fragrant.
2. Remove the toasted pecans from the oven and let cool slightly, then roughly chop half of them and leave the remaining half whole for garnish.
3. Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish generously. Spread half of the bread cubes evenly over the bottom, then scatter the chopped pecans over the bread layer. Top with the remaining bread cubes and set the whole dish aside.
4. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, maple syrup, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until smooth and well combined.
5. Pour the egg mixture slowly over the bread cubes, tilting the dish gently to ensure even distribution. Let the mixture soak for 10 minutes, pressing down gently with a spatula occasionally to help the bread absorb the custard.
6. In a small bowl, combine the melted butter and brown sugar to create a streusel-like mixture. Drizzle evenly over the top of the casserole.
7. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a knife inserted in the center comes out mostly clean with just a few moist crumbs.
8. Remove the casserole from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes before serving.
9. Cut the casserole into 8 pieces. Transfer to serving plates, dust lightly with powdered sugar, and top with the reserved whole pecans. Serve warm with maple syrup on the side.