Brioche French Toast with Caramelized Bananas and Toasted Pecans

Place 0.5 cup raw pecan halves in a dry skillet over medium heat. Toast for 5-7 minutes, tossing frequently, until fragrant and slightly darkened. Remove from heat, let cool, and roughly chop.

Using a serrated knife, slice the brioche loaf into 8 thick slices, approximately 1-inch each. If the bread is very fresh, place slices on a baking sheet in a 300°F oven for 5 minutes per side to slightly dry them out.

Zest the whole orange using a microplane, avoiding the white pith. Set the zest aside.

In a large shallow dish, whisk together 4 large eggs, 1 cup whole milk, 0.5 cup heavy cream, 2 TBSP granulated sugar, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, and 0.25 tsp ground nutmeg.

Split the vanilla bean pod lengthwise and scrape the seeds into the egg mixture. Add the orange zest and whisk vigorously to distribute the vanilla seeds and spices.

Place 2-3 slices of brioche into the custard. Let soak for 2 minutes per side, ensuring the liquid penetrates the center without making the bread fall apart.

Melt 2 TBSP unsalted butter in a large non-stick skillet over medium-low heat. Once the butter is foaming, add the soaked brioche slices.

Cook the French toast for 3-4 minutes per side until deeply golden brown and the custard is set. Transfer to a wire rack set over a baking sheet and keep warm in a 200°F oven. Repeat with remaining bread and 2 TBSP more of butter.

Peel 3 large bananas and slice them into 1/2-inch thick rounds on a bias.

In a clean skillet over medium heat, melt the remaining 2 TBSP unsalted butter. Stir in 0.5 cup light brown sugar and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring constantly, for 2-3 minutes until the sugar melts and begins to bubble into a caramel.

Carefully add the sliced bananas to the caramel. Cook undisturbed for 2 minutes to allow the sugars to reach a deep amber color. Gently flip the bananas and cook for another 1-2 minutes until softened and glazed.

Stir 0.5 cup pure maple syrup into the banana caramel mixture and simmer for 1 minute to thicken the sauce.

Finely slice 4 sprigs of fresh mint leaves into a thin chiffonade.

To serve, plate two slices of French toast per person. Generously spoon the caramelized bananas and amber syrup over the top. Garnish with the toasted chopped pecans and the fresh mint chiffonade.