Ingredients

Sauce:

  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup
  • 3 tablespoons heavy cream
  • 2 tablespoons tequila
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice

French Toast:

  • 8 sliced hardwood smoked bacon
  • 4 (1-inch thick) slices brioche or challah bread
  • 5 large eggs
  • 2/3 cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375° F.
  2. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the maple syrup, cream, tequila and salt. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring often, until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the lime juice.
  3. Arrange 2 slices of bacon around the sides of each of mini spring form pans, overlapping as necessary so that it is only around the sides and not on the bottom of the pan. Cut and trim the bread slices as needed so you can snuggly fit it into each pan with the bacon “around it”. Whisk together the eggs, milk, vanilla and salt in a bowl. Spoon or pour the mixture over the bread slices, stopping as needed to let the liquid be absorbed. Let stand 10 minutes, poking slices with fork once or twice. Place spring form pans onto a baking sheet.
  4. Bake until the eggs have set and the French toast have puffed, about 23-25 minutes. Remove the bread puddings from the pans and spoon the sauce over them to serve.