Preheat oven to 300°. Lightly butter a 9"x 13" casserole dish. For french toast: lay the bread slices in one layer on a baking sheet (they can overlap alittle). Bake them for 6 minutes on each side (to dry out). Set aside to cool.

Whisk together the eggs, half & half, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl. Dunk each slice of bread in the egg mixture to coat thoroughly and shingle the slices into the buttered dish. Pour any remaining egg mixture over the bread. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight.

For coconut-almond crust: Put 1/2C coconut, 1/3C almonds, sugar, flour and salt in a food processor and process until very fine. Add the butter, egg and egg yolk and process well to form a smooth paste.

To assemble: Preheat oven to 350°. Spread the coconut-almond mixture over the soaked bread slices. Top with the remaining 1/4C sliced almonds and 3T coconut and bake until puffed and golden and the custard is set, 45-50 minutes. Allow to cool for 1 hour before serving.

Serve with a sprinkling of powered sugar and berries if desired.