French Toast Pudding with Winter Fruits

Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a sieve with cheesecloth or a coffee filter and set it over a bowl. Spoon in yogurt, cover and let drain in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Combine cider, apples, pear, prunes, cinnamon stick, lemon zest and lemon juice in a saucepan and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Discard cinnamon stick and pour the fruit mixture into an 8-by-11-inch or similar 2-quart baking dish.

Cut bread slices in half diagonally. Whisk eggs, milk and vanilla in a mixing bowl. Soak the bread in the egg mixture and arrange in overlapping rows on top of the fruit.

Combine sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over the bread. Bake until the top is crisp and golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving with drained vanilla yogurt.