Pumpkin-cinnamon French toast with sautéed apples, cottage cheese and maple syrup

So this recipe reads like autumn. Yadda-yadda-yadda. I'm pregnant and ALL I was thinking about the freshly-tapped maple syrup I'd get to pour over top. Credit for the pumpkin French toast part of the recipe goes to Laura of lauraemphemera. My changes to the original were quite minor. This recipe serves 2-3 people. 

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To prepare the French toast:

In a mixing bowl, lightly beat 2 eggs. Add 1/2 cup milk, 1/4 cup pumpkin puree or pumpkin pie filling, 2T pumpkin spice latte syrup, 1T almond extract, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ground ginger, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, 1/4 tsp cloves and 1/4 tsp allspice. 

Dunk thick slices of brioche bread into the egg mixture, then sauté in butter over medium heat for 2-3 minutes per side, until well-browned.

To prepare the apples:

Peel and core 3 apples, then cut into 1" pieces. Tart varieties like Granny Smith work well for sautéing. Heat 1T butter in a skillet over medium heat, then add the apples. Sprinkle a little brown sugar over the top, then cook for several minutes until starting to brown, turning regularly. If the apples aren't softening, you can cover them with a lid for a minute or two to build up steam. 

To assemble:

Spread cottage cheese over the toast and top with a generous scoop of sautéed apples. Sprinkle with cinnamon and drizzle with maple syrup.

We served this with turkey breakfast sausage sautéed with maple-caramelized onions on the side. The sweet and savoury fix carried us through the better part of the day.