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Serves 8

8 c. leftover bread, 1 inch cubes (any kind, banana is good, croissants too)
1 c. raisins
4 c. milk
1 c. cream
1 vanilla bean pod, cut lengthwise and bean mass scraped out
1 c. sugar
6 eggs
2 yolks
dash salt
1 t. cinnamon

The night before: Spread leftover bread and raisins into a buttered 8x8 baking dish. Heat milk, cream, vanilla bean pod and bean mass in a saucepan on high heat. Scald mixture, but do not bring to a boil. Combine eggs, yolks, sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl and mix until combined. Ladle about ½ C. of the hot milk mixture into the eggs stirring constantly, so as not to cook the eggs (this is called tempering). Slowly pour the remaining milk into the eggs, continuing to stir as you go. Pour mixture through a strainer and slowly pour over the bread. Press all of the bread down so it gets saturated with the mixture. Let cool and then refrigerate overnight.

The Morning: Remove pan from refrigerator half an hour before putting it in the oven. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place baking dish into a larger roasting pan that is at least as tall as the baking dish and that is at least 2 inches wider all around. Place in the middle of the oven. Pour warm water ¾ up to the height of the baking dish into the roasting pan. Cover with a sheet pan or foil (loosely) and bake for 1½ hours. A half hour before it is done remove the cover to brown the top. To check for doneness poke a knife in the middle and if no liquid is seen it is done.

Serve with warm berry sauce and a dollop of sweetened whipped cream.