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1
Confectioners' sugar and berries, for garnish, optional
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2
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Lightly butter a 9-by-13-inch casserole dish.
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3
For the French toast: Lay the bread slices in one layer (it's OK if they overlap a little) on a baking sheet.
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4
Bake the slices (to dry them out a little) for 6 minutes, then flip and bake for 6 minutes more.
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5
Set aside to cool.
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6
Whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, granulated sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl.
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7
Dunk each bread slice in the egg mixture to coat thoroughly and shingle the slices in the buttered casserole dish.
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8
Pour any remaining egg mixture over the bread.
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9
Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight.
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10
For the coconut-almond crust: Put 1/2 cup of the coconut, 1/3 cup of the almonds, granulated sugar, flour and salt in a food processor and process until very fine.
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11
Add the butter, egg and egg yolk and process well to form a smooth paste.
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12
To assemble the casserole: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the coconut-almond mixture evenly over the soaked bread slices.
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13
Top with the remaining 1/4 cup sliced almonds and 3 tablespoons coconut and bake until puffed and lightly golden and the custard is set (the center of the casserole will no longer jiggle when shaken), 45 to 50 minutes.
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14
Allow to cool for 1 hour before serving, or serve at room temperature.
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15
Serve with a sprinkling of powdered sugar and berries if using.
