Cranberry Apple Pecan Bread Pudding With Vanilla Cream Sauce

Total Time: 1 hr 50 mins Preparation Time: 45 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 5 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 1 1/2 cups apples, peeled and sliced
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 4 large eggs
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 2 cups half-and-half (or milk)
• 1/4 cup brandy
• 1/2 cup cranberries
• 1/2 cup pecans, chopped
• 5 cups stale croissants (or brioche or french bread, cut in cubes)
• 2 cups milk (or half and half or cream)
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 teaspoons vanilla

Recipe

• 1 pudding:.
• 2 in a medium bowl, toss sliced apples with lemon juice and set aside.
• 3 in a large bowl, beat the eggs till frothy and light in color. add the sugar, vanilla, nutmeg and cinnamon and beat till smooth.
• 4 stir in the butter, half and half and brandy.
• 5 toss the apples, cranberries, pecans with the bread cubes.
• 6 place the bread mixture in a greased 9x5 loaf pan (or individual custard cups). pour the egg mixture evenly over the bread. cover with foil and weigh down with a bag of rice or dried beans to encourage the bread to absorb the liquid. refrigerate for 30-60 minutes.
• 7 preheat oven to 325. remove the foil and weights and place the pudding in a larger pan with 1 inch of hot water. bake for 55 minutes or till set.
• 8 increase oven temperature to 425 and bake 10 minutes more, till lightly browned. serve warm with room temperature sauce.
• 9 vanilla cream sauce:.
• 10 combine milk (or cream) with flour and sugar in a saucepan. add butter. heat over medium high heat till it bubbles, stirring. continue to heat gently till thickened. stir in vanilla.