An Inspired Cook

The blueberries have been abundant and very sweet this season so I’ve been stocking up. Anytime I find good berries I put a few extra pints in the freezer for future recipes.  It’s been much cooler this August so I felt like baking and made two loaves of brioche bread.  Nothing smells better than fresh bread from the oven!  We ate one loaf and I set the other aside to make bread pudding.  Since I had extra blueberries at the time it made sense to combine the two and I added some cream cheese to make it extra moist and almost cheesecake like.   Joe thought it was the best thing he’d ever ate, but then again every time I make dessert he says that.  What can I say, he’s just a sweet guy!

The ingredients include a loaf of brioche bread, blueberries, cream cheese, sugar, butter, eggs, half and half, and maple syrup.  There should be some vanilla and cinnamon there too, but I didn’t get them in the photo.




Prep a 9″ x 13″  baking pan by taking a pat of butter and rubbing over the bottom and sides of the pan.  This is one of my latest thrift finds.  An almost brand new food network cake pan for a mere $1.



Combine the softened butter, sugar and cream cheese in a mixing bowl.  I used a hand mixer to make quick work of mixing everything together.




Next came the addition of 6 eggs.  Beat well.




Add a pint of half and half.




And the maple syrup.  Blend some more.




And lastly some vanilla and cinnamon.




After cutting up the brioche loaf into cubes, take about half and make a layer on the bottom of the baking pan.




Pour about half of the cream cheese mixture over top.  Make sure to soak all of the bread cubes.




And sprinkle about a 2 cups of blueberries over top.




Now layer again . . . first the bread cubes.




The rest of the cream cheese mixture.




And the rest of the blueberries.




Cover with aluminum foil and into a preheated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.   After 30 minutes remove the aluminum foil and bake an additional 30 minutes.




While the bread pudding is in the oven I made a little maple cream to pour over top.  It is made of 1/4 cup butter melted, 1/4 cup maple syrup and 1 cup heavy cream.  Sprinkle with sea salt until you have the desired taste.  It’s not thick but rather runny, it reminded me of my Mom pouring canned milk over cake or cobblers when I was a girl.




Just as it came out of the oven . . .




Can’t wait to dig in!  But let it cool for a few minutes first.




Serve it up with a spoonful of salted maple cream over top.  Hard to tell it’s even there as it just soaks into the bread pudding.





Blueberry Bread Pudding with Salted Maple Cream

1 loaf Brioche Bread, but into cubes
4 cups Blueberries
1/2 cup Sugar
1/4 cup Butter, softened
2 packages Cream Cheese, softened
6 Eggs
1 pint Half and Half
1/4 cup Maple Syrup
2 teaspoons Vanilla
2 teaspoons Cinnamon

Salted Maple Cream

2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup Maple Syrup
1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
1/2 – 1 teaspoon Sea Salt, add to taste

Prep a 9″ x 13″ baking pan with butter along the bottom and sides of the pan.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a mixing bowl combine softened cream cheese, butter and sugar.  Beat with a mixer until well blended.  Beat in the eggs, pour in the half and half and maple syrup.  Stir in the vanilla and cinnamon.

Take about half of the bread cubes and layer on the bottom of the baking pan. Pour half of the cream cheese mixture over top making sure to soak all the bread cubes.  Sprinkle half of the blueberries over top.  Add a second layer of bread cubes, cream cheese mixture and blueberries.  Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.  Remove aluminum foil and bake an additional 30 minutes.

To make salted maple cream, melt butter in a saucepan.  Add the maple syrup and heavy cream and heat over medium heat.  Stir in sea salt.  Spoon over bread pudding.