Ingredients
1 loaf of brioche or you could use a french baguette
300g of strawberries hulled and quartered
280g cream cheese
For The Custard
360ml Whole Milk
240ml Double Cream
70g Brown Sugar
8 Eggs
1tsp Vanilla Extract
1tsp Almond Extract
¾ tsp Cinnamon
¾ tsp Sea Salt
For The Topping
50g Plain Flour
50g Brown Sugar
¼ tsp Ground Cinnamon
100g Butter
25g Flaked Almonds
Method
1) Butter a baking dish big enough for all of the ingredients to fit in too, with enough room for the ingredients to expand when cooking as the custard mix will puff up slightly.
2)Add half of the cubed bread to the baking dish.
3)Then scatter half the amount of strawberries and some blobs of cream cream cheese.
4)Then the rest of the bread followed by the rest of the berries.
5)In a mixing bowl whisk together the milk, cream, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, almond extract, cinnamon and salt.
6)Pour over the bread and berries, make sure the bread and berries are covered evenly.
7)Cover with foil (or you could place in the fridge overnight ready for the morning)
7)Preheat oven to 170c
8)While oven is pre heating make the topping by mixing all the ingredients together in a bowl until it starters to look like granola.
9)Scatter the topping on the casserole just before you place it in the oven.
10)Place in the oven and bake for 60-75 minutes or until set.
11)The top should be golden brown in colour and the middle should spring back when touched. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes before slicing and serving. Dust with powdered sugar and drizzle with maple syrup, if desired.
