• Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray and place the french bread in the baking dish and set aside.
  1 15 ounce  loaf French bread
• In medium-sized mixing bowl add the milk, cream, sugar, eggs, pumpkin, vanilla, and pumpkin pie spice and whisk until combined.
  2 cups milk, 1/2 cup heavy cream, 1/2 cup light brown sugar, 1 cup pumpkin puree, 6 eggs, 2 Tablespoons vanilla, 1 1/2 Tablespoons pumpkin pie spice
• Pour mixture on top of the bread, cover and refrigerate four hours or overnight.

For the topping:

• Preheat the oven to 350.
• In small mixing bowl combine the brown sugar, flour, pumpkin pie spice, and butter with a pastry cutter or two forks. Add in the pecans and stir until mixed together. The mixture will be clumpy.
  1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, 1/2 cup cold butter, 1/3 cup pecans
• Just before baking, sprinkle the topping on top of the french bread custard.
• Bake for 45-55 minutes.. At 30 minutes check to see if it’s getting too brown. If so, make a tent out of aluminum foil to shield the top of the casserole.
• Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
• Serve with maple syrup and butter.