Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cut the french bread into 1-inch cubes and spread out on a baking sheet. Bake the bread cubes for 5 to 7 minutes. The bread cubes should be dried but not browned. Spray a 13×9 inch baking pan with non-stick spray and set aside.
In a skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the diced apples and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes until the apples begin to soften. Transfer the apples to a separate bowl and let cool.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, cream, sugar, nutmeg, and salt.
Transfer the bread cubes to the baking dish and top with the apples. Pour the egg custard over the bread cubes. Gently toss the bread with your hands to makes sure it is evenly coated. Let sit for a minute then gently toss the bread cubes again to ensure they have evenly soaked up the egg custard.
Sprinkle the turbinado sugar over the bread cubes. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until a knife inserted in the middle of the bread pudding comes out clean.
Meadowsweet Custard
Combine the heavy cream and milk in a saucepan over medium heat. Fill an empty tea bag with the meadowsweet flowers. Add to the saucepan and heat the cream mixture until hot. Turn off the heat, cover, and let steep for 30 minutes. Alternatively, the dried meadowsweet can be added directly to the cream. You will need to strain it through a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth after steeping.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine the egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Whisk together well until the mixture begins to lighten in colour and texture. Set aside.
After steeping, remove the tea bag, squeezing to release any excess cream. Reheat the meadowsweet infused cream over medium heat until hot. Just before the cream begins to boil remove it from the heat. Gradually temper the hot cream into the egg yolk mixture. Add a small splash of the hot cream and whisk it in completely before repeating. Do this until most of the cream has been added.
Return the mixture to the saucepan and continue to cook over medium heat, stirring constantly. Bring the custard just up to a boil and then turn off the heat. If making ahead of time, transfer the custard to a bowl and cover with a layer of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the custard. Let cool.
To serve, cut the bread pudding into portions and transfer to serving dishes. Top with warm meadowsweet custard sauce and enjoy!