2/3 c Raisins
1/4 c Rum, optional
12 oz Day old organic white bread,
Cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3 tb Unsalted butter, softened
3 c Milk
1 Vanilla bean, split
Lengthwise
3/4 c Granulated sugar
3 lg Eggs
3 lg Egg yolks
Garnish:
Confectioners’ sugar
In a small bowl, macerate raisins in rum 30 minutes. Drain the
raisins.
Lightly butter a 2 quart baking dish. Spread the bread evenly in the
baking dish and sprinkle the raisins on top. Preheat oven to 400
degrees.
In a heavy saucepan bring milk to a bare simmer over moderate heat
with vanilla bean and granulated sugar and remove pan from heat.
Scrape seeds from vanilla bean with a knife into milk, reserving pod
for another use, and whisk to break up seeds. In a large heatproof
bowl whisk together whole eggs and yolks and add hot milk in a slow
stream, whisking.
Ladle custard evenly over bread and set dish in a larger baking pan.
Add enough hot water to pan to reach halfway up side of dish and bake
pudding in middle of oven 25 to 30 minutes, or until puffed and set.
Remove dish form water bath and cool pudding to warm or room
temperature. Just before serving dust pudding with confectioners’
sugar.
Yield: 6 servings
COOKING LIVE SHOW #CL9106
Recipe adapted from
Yields
4 servings