Rich, creamy layers of brioche, spiced apples, and caramel cheesecake baked in custard
# What You Need:
→ Bread and Fruit
01 - 8 cups brioche or challah bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 1 standard loaf, day-old preferred)
02 - 2 large apples (Granny Smith or Honeycrisp), peeled, cored, and diced
→ Cream Cheese Mixture
03 - 8 oz cream cheese, softened
04 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
05 - 1/2 cup caramel sauce, plus more for drizzling
06 - 1 tsp vanilla extract
→ Custard
07 - 4 large eggs
08 - 2 cups whole milk
09 - 1 cup heavy cream
10 - 1/2 cup brown sugar
11 - 1 tsp ground cinnamon
12 - 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
13 - 1/4 tsp salt
→ Topping
14 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
15 - 2 tbsp brown sugar
# Directions:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter or nonstick spray.
02 - Arrange bread cubes and diced apples evenly in the prepared baking dish.
03 - In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese with granulated sugar until smooth. Add caramel sauce and vanilla extract, mixing until fully combined.
04 - Drop dollops of caramel cream cheese mixture evenly over the bread and apples.
05 - In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, heavy cream, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until well blended.
06 - Pour custard evenly over the bread, apples, and cream cheese mixture. Gently press down to ensure bread is soaked.
07 - In a small bowl, combine melted butter and brown sugar. Drizzle over the top of the pudding.
08 - Cover loosely with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
09 - Remove foil and bake an additional 20 minutes, or until golden brown, puffed, and set in the center.
10 - Let cool for 10 minutes before serving. Drizzle with extra caramel sauce if desired.
