Blueberry Bread Pudding with Blueberry Compôte

A light and not-too-sweet dessert that make you want to skip dinner

3-4 cups bread, cut into ½" pieces (a hearty crusted bread works best)
3 eggs
1 cup milk
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 Tbsp. butter
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup + 1 tbsp white sugar
1 orange, freshly zested
1 pt blueberries
8 oz mascarpone cheese

Place diced bread in a baking dish.

In a mixing bowl, whisk eggs, milk, cinnamon, vanilla and the brown sugar until well combined

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C/160°C fan, Gas Mark 4).

Pour egg mixture over bread and allow to soak in until all liquid is absorbed (about 15 minutes).

Cover with foil and bake for 45-60 minutes until bread pudding is firm and all liquid is gone.

Remove from oven and allow to cool for at least 30 minutes (this can be made in advance 1-3 days if needed).

In a mixing bowl, combine mascarpone cheese, 1 Tbsp. sugar, and orange zest until well combined. Refrigerate until ready to assemble dessert.

In a small sauce pan, combine blueberries + ¼ cup sugar and cook over medium heat smashing blueberries until blueberries turn bright purple (about 5-10 minutes).

To Assemble:
Slice bread pudding into three ½" thick pieces and sauté in a pan with the melted butter (about 1 minute on each side).

On a plate spread ½ cup orange cheese mixture, then layer bread pudding slices and top with blueberry compôte.

Makes 4-6 servings.