French Toast Bread Pudding

My sweet girl and I love french toast, my husband not so much.  Surprisingly, he loves this recipe. He loves this recipe so much that recently, while we had company, I made it for the first time and he requested it the next morning too! This is a winner and oh so easy! What is also great about this recipe is that it can be prepared for baking the night before and popped in the oven in the morning.

French Toast Bread Pudding

1 1/2 cups brown sugar, not packed

French toast sticks, enough to cover the bottom of a 9x13 inch pan

1 cup of heavy cream

2 large eggs

1/2 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup water

Fruit is optional

Cover the bottom of a 9x13 inch cake pan with brown sugar. (You may add sliced apples, pears, bananas, blueberries or strawberries on top of the sugar before adding the french toast sticks.) Lay the french toast sticks side by side on top of the brown sugar. In a bowl beat together the heavy cream, eggs, vanilla extract and water. Pour over the french toast sticks. Press sticks down to wet them thoroughly.

You may leave the unbaked French Toast Bread Pudding in the refrigerator over night for a creamier texture. If you choose to immediately bake the bread pudding the top of the sticks get crispy while the bottom is rich and creamy. We have had it both ways and we prefer to go ahead and bake it and not let it set over night.

Bake at 350 degrees F 30 to 40 minutes. Let the bread pudding stand for 10 minutes before serving. Top with your favorite syrup and enjoy!