panettone bread pudding with lemon filling

By Late2Serenity

You don't HAVE to use a holiday sweet bread in this pudding. Though often those breads offer the bonus of bits of dried fruit and citrus-vanilla flavor, any slightly stale bread is fine.

Ingredients

• 3 large eggs
• 16 ounces half & half (fat-free is fine), light cream, whole milk, or a combination of milk and cream
• 1 3/4 ounces granulated sugar
• 1/2 ounce vanilla extract
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon Fiori di Sicilia, to taste; optional
• 12 ounces diced (generous 1" cubes) panettone or other bread
• 5 ounces prepared lemon curd, for filling
• coarse sparkling sugar, for sprinkling on top; optional

Details

Adapted from kingarthurflour.com

Preparation

Step 1

1) Whisk together the eggs, half & half, sugar, vanilla, and Fiori.

2) Put the cubed bread in a bowl, and pour the egg mixture over it. Stir to combine. Set the mixture aside for 30 to 60 minutes, so the bread can absorb much of the liquid.

3) While the bread is soaking, preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9" x 5" loaf pan.

4) Stir the bread again, then spoon half of it into the prepared pan.

5) Dollop the lemon curd over the bread/custard. Spread it out if it's not too sticky; though leaving it in clumps is fine, too, as it'll melt a bit and redistribute itself as the pudding bakes.

6) Top with the remaining bread/custard, patting it down gently.

7) Sprinkle with coarse white sparkling sugar, if desired; this creates a crunchy/sweet topping that plays well with the pudding's smooth interior.

8) Bake the pudding for 40 to 50 minutes, until it's golden brown. Remove it from the oven, and let it rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes, in order to set, before slicing and serving.

9) Sift confectioners' sugar over the top of each slice; serve with a bit of whipped cream or ice cream, if desired.