A taste from my home........

          I used to subscribe to a magazine called Taste of Home back in the US. It started with a free copy  sent to our address by the  distributor. I liked it so much that I decided to subscribe to it. Besides the recipes contributed by people all over the country, the magazine also features other segments which I find as interesting if not more interesting than the recipes. Among my favourites is the segment  "Am I Glad We Stopped At....." where it guides readers to great rural restaurants and country cafes discovered by the editors & readers. Another favourite is the 'I Wish I Had That Recipe....' segment in which the magazine helps readers to get the recipes from any restaurants & cafes which they've been to. The highlight of this magazine is the national recipe contest in which readers from all over the country submit their recipes based on a particular theme. Today's recipe is from an issue which had berries as the theme. Over 3000 recipes were submitted & the judges awarded Patricia Walls the grand prize for her Blueberry French Toast recipe.

          

           I've made this pudding many times but this is the first time I used brioche instead of white bread. The pudding turned out slightly dry, not sure if it was because of the type of bread or maybe I overestimated the amount of  bread I should use since a slice of my brioche is smaller than a slice of a typical white bread. That's all right because it is still delicious!

Blueberry French Toast

Recipe by Patricia Walls from Taste of Home (June / July 1996)

INGREDIENTS: 

• 12 slices day-old white bread, crusts removed (I used Brioche & I retained the crusts.)
• 2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese
• 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
• 12 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 cups 2% milk (I used full cream milk.)
• 1/3 cup maple syrup or honey (I used honey.)

SAUCE:

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 cup water

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

1 tablespoon butter

Method:

1. Cut bread into 1-in. cubes & place half in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Cut cream cheese into 1-inch cubes & place over bread. Top with blueberries and remaining bread cubes.
2. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, milk and syrup. Pour over bread mixture. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.
3. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Cover and bake at 350°F (180deg C) for 30 minutes. Uncover; bake 25-30 minutes longer or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.
4. In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch and water until smooth. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook and stir for 3 minutes or until thickened. Stir in blueberries; reduce heat. Simmer for 8-10 minutes or until berries have burst. Stir in butter until melted. Serve with French toast. Yield: 6-8 servings (1-3/4 cups sauce).