In a small bowl, stir together the cream cheese, thawed cherries with 2 tablespoons cherry juice, honey, salt and pistachios. Mix until evenly combined and the mixture turns a light violet hue. Cut a slit down the middle of each challah slice, creating a pocket but not cutting all the way down. Stuff each challah slice with a hearty amount of filling. Transfer the stuffed challah onto a baking sheet and place in the fridge or freezer to chill and firm up, about 30 minutes.

Heat a heavy duty skillet or griddle over medium-high heat. In a shallow dish, whisk together the milk, heavy cream, eggs, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and pinch of salt. Dip the stuffed challah into the milk/cream mixture turning every so often to allow the bread to soak up the liquid. Since the slices are pretty thick, make sure they soak up enough liquid. Add a pat of butter into the skillet and melt around. Place the soaked french toast, two pieces at a time (depending on the size of your skillet or griddle) and cook for about 3 to 5 minutes on the first side, or until golden and brown all around. Flip the french toast over and continue to cook for another 3 minutes. Keep the finished toast on a baking sheet in a 250℉ oven while you cook the rest.

Serve with a dusting of powdered sugar, a sprinkling of chopped pistachios and of course maple syrup. Enjoy!