Blueberry French Toast with Blueberry Maple Syrup

While I'm not a huge French Toast fan, I really enjoyed this recipe. It is a combination of 3 recipes (all of which have better photography than mine!).  Here, here and here are the recipes.  Don't let the long list of ingredients throw you.  It is simple to throw together and you do most of the work the night before.  In the morning you have a delicious breakfast with little effort.  

Blueberry French Toast with Blueberry Maple Syrup

Cream cheese spread-

8oz cream cheese, softened

tad of milk (I know that's not very technical...I probably used about 1/8 cup)

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

French Toast-

French Bread

6 eggs

1 cup milk

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 cups blueberries

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 stick butter

Toasted Pecan Topping-

1 tsp butter

1 cup pecans,  chopped

Blueberry Maple Syrup-

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/2 cup blueberries

Cut bread into 1/5 inch slices leaving the crust on.  You want the bread to be (for lack of a better word) stale.  Well, not stale, but not soft.  I sliced mine and left it out on the counter during the day so it hardens up a bit.  Butter a 9x13 casserole dish.  Arrange bread slices in bottom of dish (about 6-8 slices).  Mix all the cream cheese spread ingredients together in electric mixer.  You will need to just "eyeball" the milk.  You just need enough to make the mixture easily "spreadable".  Spread mixture evenly over bread slices.  You will probably have a bit leftover ( I had about 1/4 cup extra).  If so, save it for a bagel.... it is such a yummy spread!  

Whisk eggs, 1 cup milk, nutmeg, vanilla and 1/2 cup brown sugar together until well combined. Pour evenly over bread, cover and refrigerate overnight.  (Needs to be refrigerated at least 8 hrs and up to 24).

In the morning, toast the 1 cup of pecans with 1 tsp butter in skillet over med-low heat.  Watch the pecans carefully...they burn quickly.  (I don't know that from experience, of course...I'm just guessing!)  Sprinkle pecans over French Toast and sprinkle 2 cups of fresh blueberries on as well. Cut 1/2 stick of butter into chucks and melt over stovetop with 1/4 cup brown sugar until sugar is dissolved.  Drizzle mixture over French Toast.  Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes.  Meanwhile combine 1/2 cup maple syrup and 1/2 cup blueberries in saucepan on stovetop.  Simmer about 5-10 minutes over med / med-low heat stirring frequently.  Strain blueberries and reserve the liquid.  Serve with hot French Toast. If you have extra syrup you can keep it refrigerated for 24 hours covered and save it for pancakes the next day!