Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Tear the French bread into approximate 1-inch to 2-inch chunks and spread evenly on a large baking sheet. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes, tossing the pieces around about halfway through. Remove from the oven and let sit while you prepare the rest of the pudding.
2. Decrease the oven temperature to 350 degrees and prepare a 9×13-inch baking dish by buttering it with the 2 tablespoons butter.
3. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, salt, and the lemon zest thoroughly. Whisk in the cream and milk. Add the toasted bread pieces and toss together thoroughly with your hands. Let sit for 10 minutes to let the bread pieces to absorb the milk and egg mixture.
4. Put one half of the custard-soaked bread mixture into the prepared baking dish and top with half of the blueberries. Add the remaining bread mixture (and scrape all liquid from the bowl) to the dish and top with the remaining blueberries. Bake for approximately 45 minutes until the top browns and puffs up. An inserted butter knife should come out clean.
5. Let sit for at least 10 to 15 minutes before serving warm with the optional ice cream and garnished with sprigs of fresh mint.