CRUNCHY VANILLA-ALMOND FRENCH TOAST WITH FANCY FRUIT TOPPING, SWEET-N-SMOKY BACON

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Arrange bacon on slotted broiler pan. Sprinkle with brown sugar and place in oven to bake until crisp, 20 to 22 minutes.
• Preheat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.
• In a shallow dish, beat together with a wire whisk: eggs, half-and-half, vanilla, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon. In a second shallow dish combine flakes and nuts. Add 2 tablespoons butter to warm skillet. Place a cookie sheet lined with foil (for easy clean-up) near the stove. Coat 4 to 6 slices of bread in egg, depending on the size of your skillet, then coat bread in cornflakes and nuts. Cook slices 2 minutes on each side and transfer toast to cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining slices and transfer toast to oven. Bake 10 minutes, with already cooking bacon.
• While bacon and toast are in oven, combine fruit, sugar and liqueur in a serving bowl and reserve.
• Remove toast and bacon from oven. Warm syrup in a small pitcher in microwave 15 seconds on high. Serve toast and bacon on plates with optional garnish of mint and edible flowers.
• Pass syrup and topping at the table.