Creme Brulee French Toast

1. Have ready a small baking dish with a 3-cup capacity. Lay the bread slices in a shingle pattern in the baking dish and set aside.
2. In a small saucepan, combine the heavy cream, milk, butter, brown sugar and corn syrup. Slit open the vanilla bean and scrape the seeds into the saucepan too. Bring the mixture to a scald while stirring occasionally. (A scald is when bubbles form around the edge of the pan only; the mixture should not boil.) Pour the mixture into a shallow dish to cool slightly before whisking in the eggs and orange liqueur. Pour this mixture over the bread slices, cover and let soak in the fridge for at least 6 hours or overnight.
3. Before baking, remove the dish from the fridge and let come to room temperature while the oven preheats to 350ºF. Bake for 33-38 minutes, until the custard sets and slightly pulls away from the edge of the pan. The bread slices should be browned. Before serving, sprinkle the sugar on top and torch with a creme brulee torch.
4. Serve with maple syrup or unsweetened whipped cream.