Instructions

1. Lay bread pieces in the bottom of a casserole dish; a 12-ounce loaf of bread requires a 13-by-9-inch casserole dish. Sweet brioche, challah and crusty French bread work well for this, but you can use any bread. You can place sliced bread in the casserole dish or cut the bread into 1-inch cubes. Cubed bread might be more desirable because you can layer it with the blackberries to distribute the flavors more evenly throughout the dish.

2. Cook blackberries in a sauce pan along with sugar to taste to macerate and soften them while adding sweetness. Leave the berries whole if desired, or mash them a bit to release the juices and make more of a syrup. Alternatively, you can use blackberry jam or preserves, which must be cooked for a couple of minutes to melt the gelled sugars.

3. Pour the blackberries and syrup evenly over the bread. You can pour it directly over bread slices or line the pan with half the bread cubes, add the berries and top with the other half of bread cubes. If desired, cut a block of cream cheese and distribute it evenly over the bread before adding the hot blackberries.

4. Whisk together eggs, half-and-half or cream, and vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg to taste. The ratio of these ingredients is up to you, but as a general rule, use four eggs and 2 cups of half-and-half for a 12-ounce loaf of bread. Vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg are optional flavoring ingredients, but you don't use more than 1 teaspoon of each ingredient or they overpower the dish.

5. Cover the dish with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and refrigerate eight to 24 hours.

6. Bake the dish in an oven preheated to 300 to 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 45 minutes to one hour or until the French toast rises about 1 inch in the pan and the bread is golden brown. Sprinkle with powdered sugar as a garnish.