Upside Down Bread Pudding With Carmelized Pears And Brandied Custard Sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Place croissant slices on a cookie sheet and toast in oven until lightly toasted, about 4-10 minutes depending on the freshness of croissants. Remove from oven to cool.
In a 10.5 inch cast iron pan over medium low heat, melt butter. Add brown sugar and corn syrup and stir until blended and bubbling. Remove from heat.
Arrange peeled and sliced pears in a circular pattern. Sprinkle with pecans and set aside.
In medium bowl, whisk together eggs, half and half, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt.
Place toasted croissant pieces evenly in prepared pan. Pour milk mixture over the croissants. Using a spatula, gently press croissants into liquid.
Bake for 35-45 minutes or until custard is set.
Remove from oven and cool in pan on a rack for 5 minutes. Place a platter on top of the pan and invert bread pudding onto the platter. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes more. Serve warm or at room temperature.
In a saucepan, heat milk and sugar almost to a boil. Break eggs into a blender. While the eggs whirl, add hot milk. Add vanilla and brandy. The custard may be ready at this stage, but if it needs to be thickened, pour the mixture back into the saucepan and cook, stirring constantly. If lumps form, strain custard through a sieve or whirl it through the blender once more.