Okay!
So I tried something new today. It was my turn to bring something for muffin morning at Bible Study and I decided to make Bread Pudding. I had never heard of it until a few years ago when I saw something delicious sitting on the counter at a bakery we visited from time to time. When the lady behind the cash told me it was
Bread Pudding
I kind of turned up my nose. Then I tried it!

Here’s my version of the recipe and I hope you like it.

Make in a 9×13 baking pan and you will have enough to serve ten people

Preheat oven to 350

Now, this part needs a bit of an explanation. In many of the recipes I looked at, french bread was recommended, as it “stands up to the custard”. Well one of the reasons I decided to make Bread Pudding this morning was that I had half a loaf of stale raisin bread hanging around AND I also had some homemade cinnamon buns in the freezer that I was very disappointed with. They just didn’t rise as I had hoped and they were, in actual fact, the worst cinnamon buns I have made in a long time. I made them with my friend Johanna about a month ago and they have been sitting in my freezer, wrapped in plastic, ever since.
I figured it couldn’t hurt to thaw them and cut them into cubes along with my raisin bread. However, if you don’t have disappointing cinnamon buns in the freezer, go with the french bread and maybe think ahead and pick up a loaf of raisin bread two or three days ahead.

I can tell you, I was not disappointed today.

INGREDIENTS:

8 cups bread cubed and set aside in a large bowl

1 large apple diced
1 cup sultana raisins

CUSTARD:
4 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
4 TBLSP. butter
2 cups 2% milk
With an electric mixer, mix together the eggs and sugar for 2 minutes
add vanilla and mix for a minute
heat butter until just melted and add it to the milk
pour butter/milk mixture into egg mixture and blend well. Pour this liquid mixture over bread and stir gently to make sure the bread is covered with liquid. Allow to sit for 10 minutes

Add apple and raisins

Mix the following ingredients together
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)

Add flour mixture to bread mixture and stir gently to combine.

Pour or spoon saturated bread mixture into greased 9×13 pan

Bake for 30 minutes and insert toothpick. When it is fully baked the toothpick will come out clean but slightly damp. The base of the pudding will be slightly golden.

BUTTER SAUCE:
3 TBLSP. heavy cream
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla (apparently you can substitute the vanilla for a splash of whiskey. Go figure)
In a saucepan bring cream and sugar to a boil and continue to boil on medium for two minutes. Add vanilla and set aside.

I poured the Butter Sauce over the top of the entire cake once it was cooled slightly, but you can also pour it over individual pieces.

It was pretty tasty stuff!!