Blueberry French Toast Cupcakes

This one will be my second entry to this month's Iron Cupcake Challenge: Berries. It is a little like a bread pudding, and it is delicious! I made a custard filled with Grand Mariner, orange zest, cinnamon, and fresh nutmeg and soaked it in to chunks of challah bread. Then I made a tasty blueberry sauce and poured it over the top of each cupcake. After baking, I frosted them with a maple cream cheese frosting, maple candied walnuts, and (in honor of the creator of Iron Cupcake Earth) maple bacon... Mmmmmm... The aroma, flavor, and texture of these cupcakes are wonderful, it's everything you love about breakfast and cupcakes together at last! :)

*A quick side note: this recipe will make a TON of cupcakes (around 48!) so you may want to cut the recipe in half.

INGREDIENTS FOR CUSTARD FRENCH TOAST:

14 eggs

1 Quart of whole milk

1/2 to 3/4 cup Grand Mariner

Zest of 1 Orange

2 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp freshly ground nutmeg

3 loaves of Challah bread torn into pieces (day old bread is best)

DIRECTIONS FOR CUSTARD FRENCH TOAST:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat the eggs together. Mix all the remaining ingredients together. Make sure everything is well mixed. Pour over pieces of torn challah and allow to soak for apx. 15 minutes, fold occasionally to ensure absorption. Line several cupcake pans with cupcake wrappers. Fill each cup with the bread mixture. Top each cupcake with a spoonful of the blueberry sauce. Bake for 7-9 minutes. Allow to cool completely before icing.

INGREDIENTS FOR BLUEBERRY SAUCE:

2 lbs. fresh blueberries

2 tbsp. butter

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp. corn starch

DIRECTIONS FOR BLUEBERRY SAUCE:

Melt butter over medium heat in a heavy pot. Add sugar, stir in with the butter. Add blueberries and gently stir/fold constantly. When the blueberries have begun to burst, add the cornstarch and continue to stir. When the sauce has thickened, remove from heat.

INGREDIENTS FOR MAPLE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:
2 (8 oz.) packages of cream cheese at room temp.

1/4 cup Pure maple syrup

1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temp.

2-3 cups powdered sugar

DIRECTIONS FOR MAPLE FROSTING:

Blend together butter and cream cheese until fluffy. Add the maple syrup, stir until combined. Add 2 cups of powdered sugar, stir until combined. If the texture of the frosting is too runny, or if you would like it to taste sweeter, add 1/2-1 cup more powdered sugar.

INGREDIENTS FOR MAPLE WALNUTS:
1 tbsp. butter

1/4 cup Pure maple syrup

3/4 cup walnut pieces

DIRECTIONS FOR MAPLE WALNUTS:

Melt the butter over medium heat in a heavy pan. Toss in the walnuts and lightly stir to coat with butter. Add the maple syrup and stir continuously until the walnuts are completely coated and aromatic and there is very little syrup left in the pan.

INGREDIENTS FOR MAPLE BACON:

1 package bacon

1/4 cup Pure maple syrup

DIRECTIONS FOR MAPLE BACON:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with aluminum foil. Line bacon slices on the baking sheets, brush with maple syrup. Bake for apx. 15 minutes and drain on paper towels.