This Mixed Berry Strata is the fancy cousin of the bread pudding, a bit richer and brighter because it has ricotta cheese and orange zest and juice within its layers. You can use any type of bread for making this recipe, but our Rideau Bakery Egg bread makes it truly decadent. As a sweetener, we are using our raspberry jam and it blends perfectly with the sweet-tartness of the berries. And speaking of berries, you can use fresh, but our frozen mixed blend is not only perfect, but so convenient!
If you have stale bread, that will be perfect for this recipe, but if it’s fresh, toast in a 350°F oven for 10 minutes to dry it out a bit so it can absorb the custard much better.
Serve this magnificent Strata along with a drizzle of maple syrup on your next family brunch, everyone will be delighted.
Directions
- Grease an 11” x 7” (or 2-quart) baking dish with butter and set aside.
- To make the custard, in medium bowl, combine milk, whipping cream, eggs, orange zest and juice. Whisk to break up egg yolks and mix well.
- Spread half of the bread in one layer on the baking dish and dollop half of the ricotta cheese, followed by half of the raspberry jam and half of the berries.
- Top with the rest of the bread, ricotta, jam and berries and then pour in the custard.
- Sprinkle with sliced almonds and then press lightly on the bread. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Place baking dish on sheet pan and bake for 60 minutes, or until custard is set and top is golden brown. If strata browns too fast toward the end of the baking time, you can cover it loosely with foil.
- Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes. Dust with icing sugar and serve with maple syrup.
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 1 cup Farm Boy™ Organic 3.8% Whole Milk (946 ml)
- 1/2 cup 35% whipping cream (or 10% cream)
- 4 large eggs
- 1 large orange zest
- 1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- 1/2 loaf Rideau Bakery Flat Bottom Twisted Egg Bread (680 g) cut into 1" pieces (8 cups)
- 1 cup Farm Boy™ Ricotta (400 g)
- 1/2 jar Farm Boy™ Raspberry Jam (250 ml) (2/3 cup)
- 3 cups Farm Boy™ Berry Blend Frozen Fruit (600 g)
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds
- 1 Tbsp icing sugar for garnish
- Farm Boy™ Amber Maple Syrup (250 ml) for serving
