Outrageous French Toast

I got this recipe when I worked in Washington D.C. at NDU. There was an international cooking/sharing foods group for the spouses of the military officers, and they would meet every other week or so and bring in dishes from their countries and the recipes to share. This recipe came from one of the Americans who ran the program--and it's delicious! 

When I made it, I used the cheapest bread I could find, and so it was pretty thin (even with two layers of bread). I would suggest using thicker bread or putting a third layer on the top.

16 slices inexpensive whole wheat bread (crusts removed)

1 cup brown sugar

1 Tbsp. light corn syrup (I used honey)

5 Tbsp. butter

1 tsp. cinnamon

5 eggs

1 1/2 cups milk

1 tsp. vanilla

sour cream

fresh or frozen strawberries

Over low heat, stir sugar, syrup, cinnamon, and butter until melted and blended. Pour mixture into a 13x9 inch pan, spread evenly on bottom. Place the bread slices in a double (or triple) layer on top of the mixture (do this quickly, as the liquid starts to get hard after a couple of minutes).

Beat eggs with milk and vanilla, pour over bread and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.

Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 45 minutes.

To serve, cut into 8 servings, and then flip over onto plate with a spatula, caramelized side up. Put a dollop of sour cream and strawberries on top.