Ingredients
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8 -12 slices French bread, day old sliced diagonally 1/2 inch thick (enough bread to make two tight fitting layers in the baking dish)
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4 large eggs
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1 cup milk
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1 cup cream
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1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
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1 teaspoon vanilla extract
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1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
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1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
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1/2 cup orange marmalade
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2 -3 tablespoons crystallized ginger, minced
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4 -6 ounces cream cheese, softened
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6 tablespoons butter, softened
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1 teaspoon cinnamon
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2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
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1 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup or 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Place the bread in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake until dry and lighthly browned, about 20 minutes.
- Cool,.
- Spray a 9 x 9 baking dish with non-stick spray.
- Mix crystallized ginger into the apricot preserves.
- Spread the cream cheese on one side of half of the slices of french bread.
- Place the cream cheese topped slices in the baking dish, cream cheese side up.
- Spoon apricot preserves over bread and top each slice with a plain slice of french bread (forming sandwiches).
- Mix together the eggs, milk, cream, sugar, vanilla, nutmeg and cinnamon.
- Pour mixture over the bread slices.
- Place plastic wrap over the top and refrigerate overnight.
- (Note: To keep the bread submerged, place a weighted plate or saucer on top of the plastic wrap).
- Next Morning:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Mix together the butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and maple syrup until smooth.
- Stir in the walnuts.
- Evenly drop the topping mixture over the casserole.
- Bake for approximately 50-60 minutes or until golden brown and set.
- Cool for 10 minutes before serving.