Ingredients

• ½ stick, or 4 tablespoons, or 2 ounces, or 57 grams, unsalted butter
• 6 ounces/170 grams blackberries, halved
• 4 Pink Lady apples, peeled, and cut into a ½ inch/ 1 ½ centimeter dice
• Juice of 1 lemon
• ½ cup/110 grams sugar, plus 1 cup, plus 1 tablespoon
• 1 vanilla bean, seeds and pod separated
• 1 tablespoon/10 grams flour
• 4 eggs
• 2 cups half and half (US) or whole milk (UK)
• 1/3 cup Calvados
• 800 grams brioche (about 2 loaves), cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 container of custard (optional)
• ¼ cup Calvados (optional)

Procedure

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F/177 degrees C.
2. Melt the butter in a large sauté pan over medium-low heat. Once you’ve diced the fruit, toss it immediately with the lemon juice, and then add the mixture to the butter.
3. Add in the seeds from the vanilla pod, and the sugar, and cook on low, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes.
4. Add the flour to the fruit, and stir in. Cook another 3 minutes. Set the fruit aside to cool.
5. In a large bowl, whisk together 4 eggs, 2 cups of half and half or whole milk, 1/3 cup Calvados, and 1 cup of sugar. Submerge the brioche cubes in the mixture, and allow to set and soak for 5 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, butter the inside of a square baking dish. Arrange half of the brioche mixture in the bottom of the dish. Then spread the apple and blackberry mixture all over, creating a layer of fruit. Cover with the second half of the brioche mixture. Top with a sprinkling of 1 tablespoon of sugar.
7. Place the baking dish on a baking sheet to catch any spills, and bake for 45 minutes, until puffed and golden. Serve warm.
8. If you are making the custard, put the bought custard in a sauce pan on low heat to warm. Add in ¼ cup Calvados, some single cream to thin out the custard, and the reserved vanilla bean pod. Allow to just heat through.