Blackberry French Toast

Ingredients

• cup seedless blackberry jam
• (12 ounce) loafFrench bread, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
• cup shalf-and-half
• (8 ounce) packagewhipped cream cheese
• large eggs
• teaspoon ground cinnamon
• teaspoon vanilla extra ct
• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

Instructions

1. Cook blackberry jam in a small saucepan over medium heat until melted and smooth, stirring once, 1 to 2 minutes.
2. Place 1/2 of the bread cubes into the bottom of a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish and drizzle with melted jam. Top with remaining bread cubes.
3. Mix half and half and whipped cream cheese together in a bowl; add eggs, cinnamon, and vanilla extract. Mix together well and pour over bread mixture. Sprinkle with brown sugar. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and chill in the refrigerator, 8 to 24 hours.
4. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
5. Bake in the preheated oven, covered, for 20 minutes. Uncover and continue to bake until bread is golden brown and mixture is set, 10 to 15 minutes more. Serve with desired toppings.

Tips

You may consider adding an extra egg and increasing half-and-half by 1/2 cup to gain more liquid for bread to soak up.