Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9X13 pan and set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine ricotta, pumpkin puree, maple syrup, lemon zest, a pinch of salt, and cinnamon. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Whisk together eggs, milk, vanilla, and a pinch of salt until well combined, then set aside.

Pair two pieces of bread together, then cut them diagonally and spread the ricotta filling onto the upper 2/3rds of one of the bread slices. Gently place the other bread half on top—make sure not to smush the pieces together or the filling will fall through the bottom. Place the ricotta sandwich into the baking dish so that the corner faces upward and the flat, long side is touching the pan. Repeat this process until all bread slices and ricotta are used—in order to get all the bread to fit, you may need to trim some corners along the cut side—about 1/2’’ inch at the most.

Pour egg mixture over the French toast slowly in order to dampen the upward corners of the bread. Sprinkle the tops of the bread with a dusting of white, coconut, or brown sugar, to add a little crunchy, caramelization

Cover with foil, and place in oven for 20 minutes. After baking, remove foil and bake for another 10-15 minutes, make sure the egg mixture in the center is fully cooked through.

Serve hot with powdered sugar, maple syrup, and fresh toasted almonds!