Banana French Toast with Rum Cream

French toast:

12 slices white bread, cut in 1½-inch cubes

1/4  C. sugar

6 eggs

1 1/2  C. milk

1 t. vanilla

For the rum cream: The day before serving, melt butter in a skillet. Sauté banana slices until golden on both sides. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Stir brown sugar and rum into butter left in skillet. Bubble and stir until sugar turns to a thick sludge. Stir in cream. Boil until mixture thickens slightly. Pour into a jar or bowl. Cover and refrigerate until needed.

For the French toast: The day before serving, pile 1/3 of the bread cubes in a buttered, 2-quart casserole dish. Scatter half of the fried bananas over the bread. Add 1/3 more bread and remaining fried bananas. Top with remaining bread.

Whisk together sugar, eggs, milk, and vanilla. Pour over bread in casserole. Weight down with a plate slightly smaller in diameter than the casserole, to keep bread cubes submerged in custard. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

The next morning, remove foil and plate from casserole. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes, until custard has set and top is beginning to brown. Heat rum cream briefly in microwave.

Pile banana French toast mixture in stemmed glasses. Top each serving with a spoonful of rum cream.

Servings: 6.