Raisin Apple Bread Pudding

A few weeks ago, I found this recipe for bread pudding that called for apples and raisins.  Let's just say the first try at it didn't work.  But ever-determined, I gave it another whirl yesterday - tweaking it and adjusting it so it wouldn't be the gloppy mess it was the last time.  And yesterday's batch was quite tasty.  So here it is...

Raisin Apple Bread Pudding

4 1/2 cups stale sourdough bread (cubed)
1/2 cup golden raisins
2 cups diced Gala apples (peeled, of course)
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup milk
3/4 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup margarine
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 350F (175C).  Grease an 8x10" cake pan. In a large bowl, combine bread, raisins and apples.  Sprinkle in cinnamon and stir until it's combined.  In a medium saucepan, combine brown sugar, milk, cream and margarine.  Heat mixture until margarine is just melted - stirring occasionally to avoid scalding the milk and cream.  (Don't worry if the cream separates.  It still works.)  Pour hot mixture over bread mixture and stir until all the bread is wet.  Pour wet bread and fruit mixture into prepared pan.  In a small bowl, beat eggs until light and frothy.  Add vanilla until combined.    Pour egg mixture over bread in pan.  (Do not stir to combine.  Just let the eggy stuff sit on top.)  Bake for 45-55 minutes or until center is set and the apples can be speared with a fork.  Serve warm with ice cream.

You can, of course, substitute other kinds of stale bread.  Leftover buns, rolls, stuff you find on the day-old rack at the store.  Whatever blows your skirt up.  And I used Gala apples yesterday because I have Galas in the house, but you can use whatever you like best.  Hey, if you want an extra kick, try making it with Granny Smith. 

This recipe originally called for a vanilla glaze, but I screwed that up horribly the first time, so I ditched it this time.  Vanilla ice cream provided enough extra sweetness that it didn't need the glaze.  FYI - this is not a super sweet dessert, but it's quite nice.  If you want extra sweetness, try making a simple glaze of powdered sugar and water, or buy some pre-made frosting in a can.