Happy New Years!

And my presents to all of you:

Blonde Liz’s Bread Pudding (Don’t skimp and please reference back to me when passing the recipe out)

16 slices of dried white bread, torn into bite sized pieces

3 c whole milk

1 stick of butter

2 cups of brown sugar or maple syrup or honey

1 T vanilla

1 T cinnamon

4 eggs

20ish oz of almond pastry filling

2 cups of walnuts or pecans

1 cup dried fruit of choice (I recommend figs, dates, raisins or craisins)

Combine milk, butter, and sugar in a sauce pan and heat to 110ish degrees (no need for thermometer, hot bath hot to touch). Temper into eggs and mix well with vanilla, cinnamon and pastry filling. Fold in bread pieces and refrigerate for 2 hours. Fold in nuts and fruit. Pour into greased 9x13 cake pan. Bake 350 for 45 minutes to 55 minutes, until golden on top and firm. Toothpick may not come out clean, this is a moist dish.

Let set for half hour, serve with ice cream or topping of choice. Cream cheese and caramel sauce is popular amongst my family that likes bread pudding.

And what good is bread pudding without buttered rum? Check out this recipe from the Pan Galactic Blogger Blaster . I just tried it. I ended up doubling the rum, butter, and sugar and using 10 cloves. I am generally not a clove person, but it works well. (As an aside… one could probably take a cup or so of this, combine with a simple glaze, and it would be fabulous on my bread pudding recipe.)