Cherry Bread Pudding

By á-830

Ingredients

• Butter for baking dish
• 2 cups well shaken buttermilk
• 2 cups half and half
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 6 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 loaf country Italian or French bread, cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes or about 6 cups any stale bread, biscuits or cake (tastes best with homemade bread)
• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
• 3 cans dark sweet cherries in heavy syrup, liquid reserved
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup corn starch
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 tablespoon butter
• Pinch of salt

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13x9 baking pan with butter. Stir the buttermilk, half and half, eggs and vanilla together in a large bowl. Add bread cubes. Let them stand in the liquid for 10-15 minutes, until bread has absorbed most of the liquid. Add fruit or chocolate and stir to combine. Pour bread mixture into buttered baking dish, making sure to get all the liquid out of the bowl.

Cut a sheet of foil large enough to cover the baking dish and grease it with butter. Place the foil, buttered side down, over the baking dish and place in the oven to bake 1 hour. Uncover and bake 15-20 minutes longer, until the top is golden brown and crispy.
To make sauce: Place sugar and corn starch in small saucepan and mix together. Add cherry liquid and heat to a boil, stirring constantly until thickened. Cook for 4 minutes. Add butter, lemon juice, almond extract and salt. Pour over the warm pudding. Serve warm, fresh from the oven or reheated in a 300 degree oven until warmed through.