Bread pudding is a great addition to any brunch but, can stand alone for a great family breakfast.
Michigan Bread Pudding
1/2 cup Dried Cherries
1/2 cup Kirsch or unflavored Brandy
1 pound Brioche, Challah, or other enriched bread or leftover cake or pastry
1/4 cup melted Butter
1 quart Milk
1 cup sugar
8oz Cream Cheese
10 eggs
1/4 cup pure Maple Syrup
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 tsp ground Cinnamon
1 tsp Kosher Salt
1 Tbls Lemon Zest
1/2 cup fresh Blueberries
1/2 cup Walnuts, Pecans, and/or Almonds
Add the dried cherries to the brandy and macerate for 20 minutes. Cut the bread into cubes and spread on a cookie sheet. Drizzle with melted butter and toast @ 350 degrees until golden. In a heavy bottom sauce pan, heat the milk to a simmer and remove from heat. Cream the sugar and cream cheese in a mixer. Add one egg at a time and mix until incorporated. Add the macerated cherries, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, salt and lemon zest. Carefully add about 1/3 of the milk to temper the egg mixture stirring constantly until smooth. Slowly add the remaining milk and mix in well. Place the toasted bread cubes in a buttered casserole or individual ramekins. Sprinkle evenly with the fresh blueberries and nuts. Ladle the custard over the bread cubes until all of it is added or fill ramekins about 3/4 full. Refrigerate at least four hours or overnight to allow the bread to absorb the custard. Place casserole or ramekins in a water bath and bake @ 325 degrees until just set in the middle (about an hour and fifteen minutes for the casserole; forty-five minutes for the ramekins). Serve warm right out of the oven or refrigerate at least four hours and serve chilled.
