Ingredients

4 large eggs
1 pint heavy cream
8 to 10 slices baguette or other bread cut about 1" thick
1 TBSP vanilla
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup (4 ounces) diced dried fruit

Directions

Whisk the eggs thoroughly. Whisk in the sugar with the eggs. Gently heat the cream to a near boil. Add two ounces of the hot cream to the egg and sugar mixture. Add the egg mixture back into the pot with the hot cream along with the vanilla. Pre-heat the oven to 400° deg. In a shallow casserole or baking dish, pour the cream and egg mixture. Add the dried fruit evenly into the mixture. Lay the slices of bread evenly around the dish, using enough to cover the custard, allowing them to soak up the liquid. Place the casserole into a larger pan and place it on the middle rack of the oven. Half fill the larger tray with water, creating a water bath, or bain marie. Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out of the custard cleanly.

On the question of the dried fruit. I personally prefer the prechopped Sunsweet Dry Fruit mix. Measure it right out of the package and follow the instructions above. However, you may use chopped dates, raisins, figs, apricots or the dry fruit of choice. You can even use candied fruit, but it is too sweet for me. Of course, if you have that stuff left around from the holidays, this is an acceptable way to use it up.