Eggnog & Dried Cherry Bread Pudding

Total Time: 1 hr 5 mins Preparation Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 55 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 6 ounces day-old french bread, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
• 1/2 cup dried tart cherry
• 4 large eggs
• 1/4 cup dark rum (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 quart prepared eggnog
• 1 cup vanilla ice cream

Recipe

• 1 grease a shallow 2-quart casserole dish. place bread in casserole; sprinkle with cherries.
• 2 in a medium bowl, mix eggs until well beaten. add rum, if using, cinnamon, and salt, whisking until blended. stir in eggnog. pour eggnog mixture over bread, pressing bread into custard.
• 3 cover and refrigerate bread mixture for 30 minutes or overnight to allow bread to absorb custard, stirring once.
• 4 preheat oven to 350 degrees. bake bread pudding, uncovered, 50 to 55 minutes or until center is almost set. cool in pan on wire rack for 15 minutes.
• 5 just before serving, place ice cream in small microwaveable serving bowl; heat in microwave oven on high 30-35 seconds, stirring once. remove bowl from microwave and stir until smooth, but still thick and cool.
• 6 serve 'sauce' with warm bread pudding.