Vanilla Bourbon French Toast with Cardamom Berry Compote

This is the final recipe and the "dessert" course from the Mother's Day Brunch I hosted a while back, but it can easily be served as breakfast or a snack.  The cardamom really adds a special flavor to the berry compote elevating the dish to something more than just your average French toast and berries.  See after the jump for ingredients and recipe...
Ingredients:
For compote

• 1/2 bag of frozen mixed berries (from Trader Joe's of course)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• juice of one lemon
• 1 teaspoon ground cardamom

For the French toast

• 1 cup milk (I'd use 2%- anything less ends up being too watery)
• 1 teaspoon Bourbon Vanilla (from Trader Joe's)
• 3 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• pinch of salt
• dash of cinnamon and nutmeg
• 1 baguette, cut in 1/2 inch slices
• 4 tablespoons butter

1. In a medium saucepan, heat the mixed berries, lemon juice, sugar, and cardamom until berries are mushy.
2. Bring almost to a boil and then reduce to a low simmer until compote thickens to desired texture.
3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the milk, vanilla, eggs, maple syrup, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
4. Layer bread slices in a large shallow baking dish.
5. Pour wet mixture over bread slices and let sit for 30 minutes in refrigerator.
6. In a large skillet, heat a pat of butter over high heat.  Once melted, using tongs add soaked slices of bread to skillet and brown.  Flip to other side and brown.  
7. As your skillet may only fit 3 pieces of bread at a time, I suggest keeping the finished bread pieces on a rack in the oven at about 250 degrees Fahrenheit. 
8. Serve with warm berry compote over top.
9. Enjoy!