French Toast Casserole

• Use day-old challah or brioche bread sliced 1/2 inch thick. Arrange slices in a buttered 4-quart baking dish, overlapping slices as necessary.
• In a medium bowl whisk together the eggs, milk, cream, sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon, and pour 1/2 of the mixture over the sliced bread and let sit for about 20 minutes.  Keep bread and egg and cream mixture cold while you let the bread rest.
• The bread will absorb most of the cream mixture.  After 20 minutes add more cream mixture so that the is just a little bit in the bottom.  Cover dish tightly with cling wrap.  Reserve any remaining mixture and refrigerate. 
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• If the casserole seems too dry add a little of the reserved cream mixture.
• Bake in a 350 degree F. preheated oven for 30 minutes.  Top casserole with pecans and cook for an additional 15 - 30 minutes or until top is golden brown and custard is firm. Check center of your bread pudding with a skewer to make sure the center is cooked and set.  The skewer should come out clean.
  
• Dust with powdered sugar.  Serve warm maple syrup on the side.  Serve the casserole hot.