Blackberry Overnight French Toast

If you are like me then you LOOOOOVE Breakfast! If you are not like me and don't like breakfast then this might just be the recipe to change your mind! I made this last year at the Howard Thanksgiving Brunch! It was perfectly delicious and pretty easy to make!

Hands-on time: 21 min.; Total time: 8 hr., 51 min.
Yield: Makes 8 to 10 servings

Ingredients
1 cup blackberry jam
1 (12-oz.) French bread loaf, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
1 (8-oz.) package 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, cut into 1-inch cubes
4 large eggs
2 cups half-and-half
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
Toppings: maple syrup, whipped cream

Preparation
1. Cook jam in a small saucepan over medium heat 1 to 2 minutes or until melted and smooth, stirring once.
2. Place half of bread cubes in bottom of a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Top with cream cheese cubes, and drizzle with melted jam. Top with remaining bread cubes.
3. Whisk together eggs and next 3 ingredients. Pour over bread mixture. Sprinkle with brown sugar. Cover tightly, and chill 8 to 24 hours.
4. Preheat oven to 325°. Bake, covered, 20 minutes. Uncover and bake 10 to 15 minutes or until bread is golden brown and mixture is set. Serve with desired toppings.

Homeade Whipped Cream
1 pint of heavy whipping cream
6 tbs sugar
2 tsp vanilla

Place whipping cream in chilled bowl and begin to mix (If you have a KITCHEN AID, put the bowl in the freezer for 5 minutes and turn your mixer on high, you will be done in less than 5 minutes!). Mix until the top begins to peak. Add sugar and vanilla. Mix together. ** I have found that I tend to under mix in fear of over mixing. Does that make sense? Anyways don't be afraid to beat that cream into perfection! It should be a pretty thick consistency when complete, other wise it will "melt" back into liquid form. I served mine with homeade whipped topping, next time I am definitely going to try it with syrup too!!