Banana French Toast

I mentioned this recipe a while back and promised to write about it but never did. Someone's reminded me of my promise, so here it is:

It's from New American Cooking by Joan Nathan, which I've really grown to like. I made it for my in-laws one morning while they were helping me pack up the apartment to move. The four of us (in-laws, me and August) devoured the whole pan (the recipe below is for half a recipe, which is what I made). We needed the sustenance for all that packing!

Melt half a stick of butter with 6 tablespoons brown sugar and 1 tablespoon maple syrup in a pan. You're supposed to bring it to a boil and let it boil for 2 minutes without stirring but I have to admit that frightened me so I may have fiddled with it with a wooden spoon a little (or a lot). Pour into a 8 x 8 inch pan and coat the bottom with it. Then arrange 2 sliced bananas over the top, then layer on three 1 1/2-inch-thick slices challah.

Mix 3/4 cup half-and-half with 3 large eggs and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and pour that over the top. Refrigerate overnight. In the morning, take the casserole out of the refrigerator and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. When it's heated, pop in the casserole and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, then cool 10 minutes and eat. I unmolded it onto a platter so the pretty banana layer was on top.