New Favorite Dessert: Bread Pudding

Our new favorite dessert, bread pudding. This one has been a big hit with friends and family. I just discovered the recipe this summer and it's our new favorite. I baked this one tonight and I wanted to share it with you. Try it, it's yummy!

The original recipe came from The Amercia's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook...but I've since altered it a bit (added the oatmeal, apple & rasins and reduced the cream). Here's my take on the recipe:
4 large eggs + 1 egg yolk
3/4 c + 2T sugar
2 1/2 c milk
2 c heavy cream
1 T vanilla extract
1/2 t nutmeg
1/4 t salt
1/4 c raisins
13 slices of white bread (plain white sandwich bread has great results)
1 pealed cubed apple
1 1/2 T butter
1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 c oatmeal
1/2 c nuts (walnuts or pecans)

Heat oven 325 degrees.
Lightly coat 9 x 13" baking dish with vegetable spray.
Whisk eggs, yolk, 3/4 c sugar in large bowl. Whisk in milk, cream, vanilla, nutmeg, raisins, apples & salt.
Stir in 10 slices of cut up bread pieces and toss together until bread is soaked.
Pour into dish and let soak for 20 minutes.
Toss 3 slices of bread pieces with 2 T sugar, butter, oatmeal & cinnamon for topping.
Sprinkle topping over dish, pushing down gently to partially submerge.
Bake pudding until deep golden brown, puffy around the sides and jiggles very slightly in the center.
Approximately 50 minutes.

This summer, while in Hawaii, my husband would order bread pudding almost every day from the local bakery. It was something we never had on the mainland...I never knew he even liked it. I've only had bread pudding once before in my life. So, when we came back, I was determined to find a good recipe for bread pudding and I think this one is it! I hope you try it.