Kabocha & maple caramel baked French toast

INGREDIENTS

for the kabocha baked french toast:

1 1/4 cups

milk

3/4 cup

kabocha purée (or any other kind of squash purée)

1 tsp

vanilla extract

1/3 cup

brown sugar, packed

1 1/2 tsp

cinnamon

1/2 tsp

ground ginger

1/4 tsp

nutmeg

1/4 tsp

cloves

1/8 tsp

salt

6 cups

challah or brioche, cut into 2-inch cubes or sliced, preferably a bit stale (I used a loaf of challah about a foot long, half a batch of this recipe)

large eggs

for the maple caramel sauce:

2 tbsp

butter

1/4 cup

sugar (both brown and granulated work fine)

2 tbsp

heavy cream (whole milk also works)

2 tbsp

maple syrup

1/8 tsp

salt

to serve:

Greek yogurt or whipped cream