Recipe

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• 1/2 lb croissants (2 or 3)
• about 1/2 cup (1/4 lb.) butter or margarine, at room temperature
• 2 packages (3 oz. each) cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 1/4 cups maple syrup
• 10 large eggs
• 3 cups half-and-half (light cream
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tbsp chopped pecans
• powdered sugar
• raspberries or edible flowers , such as rose petals or nasturtiums, rinsed and drained

• 1 Tear croissants into 1/2-inch chunks. Whirl in a food processor until coarsely chopped, or chop with a knife. Butter 8 soufflé dishes (1- to 1 1/4-cup size) and fill equally with croissant pieces.
• 2 In a food processor, combine cream cheese, 1/2 cup butter, and 1/4 cup maple syrup; whirl until blended. (Or, in a bowl, beat with a mixer until smoothly blended.) Drop equal portions into each soufflé dish.
• 3 In a bowl, beat eggs to blend with 1/2 cup maple syrup and the half-and-half. Pour equally into each soufflé dish. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Cover and chill at least 8 hours or up to 1 day. Set dishes slightly apart in a 10- by 15-inch pan.
• 4 Bake, uncovered, in a 350° oven until pudding-soufflés are richly browned and centers barely jiggle when gently shaken, 45 to 50 minutes.
• 5 About 5 minutes before pudding-soufflés finish baking, in a 1- to 1 1/2-quart pan over medium-high heat, frequently stir remaining 1/2 cup maple syrup until hot. Sprinkle pudding-soufflés with pecans, dust with powdered sugar, garnish with berries or flowers, and add hot syrup to taste.