Lorilyn'S Baked Strawberry French Toast - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 loaf bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (buttermilk or potato recommended)
4 cups strawberries, quartered (fresh or frozen)
1 (4 ounce) package cream cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
7 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup half-and-half cream
2 teaspoons almond extract
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 loaf French bread, sliced into 1-inch thick slices
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoons corn syrup
1 cup pecans, chopped
Syrup
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup water
16 ounces frozen strawberries, thawed and quartered
1 tablespoon butter or 1 tablespoon margarine

Preparation

Spray a 13x9 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
Sprinkle bread cubes over bottom of dish.
Sprinkle berries over bread cubes.
Sprinkle cream cheese over berries.
In large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, half & half, almond extract, nutmeg & cinnamon.
Arrange French bread slices over the surface of the berries & cream cheese, creating a flat surface of bread rounds & getting in as many as possible without them popping up. Pour egg & milk mixture over French bread slices.
Mix melted butter, brown sugar, corn syrup & pecans and spread over french bread slices. Cover tightly & refrigerate overnight.
Remove from refrigerator & let stand 20-30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 350\u00b0. Bake uncovered 50-60 minutes. Let sit 10 minutes before slicing.
For Syrup (can be made fresh or in advance, refrigerated, and reheated for serving):
In a saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch; add water.
Bring to boil over medium heat and boil for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
Stir in strawberries and reduce heat. Simmer for 8-10 minutes or until thickened. Stir in butter and serve over french toast.