Recipe: Bread Pudding with a French Flair

Bread Pudding with a French Flair
(8 servings)

VANILLA SAUCE:
1 c Milk
1 c Heavy cream
1/2 ts Vanilla
4 Egg yolks
1/2 c Sugar

BREAD PUDDING:
4 sl White bread
1 cn Pitted sweet dark cherries
3 1/2 c Milk
5 Whole eggs
2 Egg yolks
1 c Sugar
1 ts Vanilla

Make vanilla sauce: in a small saucepan, over direct heat bring 1 cup milk with cream and 1/2 tsp vanilla to boiling; just until bubbles form around edge. Remove from heat. In the top of a double boiler, with an electric mixer at medium speed, beat 4 egg yolks until thick. Gradually beat in 1/2 cup sugar, beating until soft peaks form when beaters are raised. Add hot milk mixture. Place over hot water (water in the lower part of the double boiler should not touch the upper part). Cook, stirring until coating forms on metal spoon - about 10 to 15 minutes.

Pour into a bowl; place a sheet of waxed paper on the surface. Refrigerate 2 hours. Preheat oven to 350F. Trim crusts from the bread and cut in half diagonally. Drain cherries. Turn cherries onto the bottom of a buttered 2 quart 8 inch square baking dish. Overlap bread slices on top. Prepare custard: In a small saucepan over direct heat heat the milk until bubbles form around the edge of the pan. Remove from heat. In a medium bowl, with an electric mixer, beat whole eggs and egg yolks until light and foamy. Gradually beat in the sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time.

Beat until well-blended. Gradually pour the hot milk, beating constantly. Add vanilla, mixing well. Pour custard over bread and cherries mixture in baking dish. Set baking dish very carefully in a large shallow pan on the lower rack of the oven. Carefully pour hot water to 1 inch level around dish. Bake, uncovered, 45-50 minutes or until knife comes out clean. Remove to rack to cool.

To serve, spoon sauce over individual servings Makes 8 servings. Note: You might try sprinkling cinnamon-sugar mixture over the pudding before baking. It's great.