Blueberry Cream Cheese Bread Pudding

1 brick of cream cheese, softened

1/3 c powdered sugar

12 slices bread, any kind is fine, crusts removed and cubed

2 c fresh or frozen blueberries, divided

2 c milk or cream

1/2 c maple syrup

6 eggs

1/2 c sugar
3 Tbl cornstarch

1/2 c water

In a small bowl, beat cream cheese and powdered sugar together until smooth. Refrigerate until set so it's easier to handle. Place bread cubes in a 9x13 baking pan. Drop cream cheese mixture by generous spoonfuls over bread. Scatter 1 c blueberries over bread and cream cheese. In a large bowl, whip cream, maple syrup and eggs until well blended. Pour over bread. You want the bread to absorb all the liquid so pour slowly. You may not use quite all of the milk/egg mixture. Refrigerate for several hours. Bake at 350F until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let set to cool slightly while you make the sauce. Place sugar and cornstarch in a small sauce plan and mix well. Add water and whisk over medium low heat until you have a thick sauce. Add remaining 1 c blueberries and stir until they are heated through and beginning to crack open. To serve, cut bread pudding into squares and spoon a bit of the blueberry sauce over the top. A bit of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream is a wonderful accompaniment.