Bread Pudding with Praline Sauce

Yield: 16 servings

Ingredients

Pudding

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 pound unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 1/2 pound loaf French bread, thinly sliced and toasted
• 5 eggs
• 3 cups milk
• 1 1/2 cups + 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups raisins
• 1 cup chopped pecans, lightly toasted
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Praline Sauce

• 1/2 pound unsalted butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup heavy cream

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9 x 13 inch glass baking dish with the softened butter. Set aside.

Pudding

1. Tear the toast in bite-size pieces and place in a large bowl.
2. In another bowl, whisk the eggs with the milk, 1 1/2 cups of sugar and the salt.
3. Beat in the vanilla extract. Pour the mixture over the bread and set aside until it is completely absorbed.
4. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, toss the raisins with the pecans.
5. In a small bowl, mix the cinnamon, nutmeg and the remaining 3 tablespoons sugar.
6. Fold the raisins and pecans into the moistened bread and transfer to the prepared baking dish; pat down evenly.
7. Sprinkle the spiced sugar and the diced butter over the bread pudding and cover with foil.
8. Set the baking dish in a larger pan of hot water and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until the pudding feels firm and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
9. Remove the foil and let sit for 10 minutes.

Praline Sauce

1. Combine all of the ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
2. Serve the pudding in squares, with the Praline Sauce spooned on top.