Baked French Toast with Pine Nuts and Apples

Butter a 9x13-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon of the butter.

Arrange bread in dish in a single layer; set aside.

Beat eggs in a large bowl, then whisk in buttermilk, milk, sugar, zest, vanilla and nutmeg.

Sprinkle pine nuts over bread, then pour egg mixture over the top.

Using the back of a large spoon, press the bread slices down firmly to make sure that each is well covered with the egg mixture.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or preferably overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

Meanwhile, remove baking dish from refrigerator and allow contents to come to room temperature.

Remove plastic wrap and bake until golden brown and custard is firm, 45 to 55 minutes.

Meanwhile, arrange apples on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, overlapping them slightly and alternating the colors; set aside.

Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter, then remove from the heat and stir in orange juice; brush apples with butter mixture.

During the last 15 to 20 minutes of baking time for the french toast, arrange apples in the oven and bake until tender. (They should be ready at the same time as the french toast.)

To serve, cut french toast into pieces and transfer to plates.

Top with apples and drizzle with honey, if you like.