Bread Pudding

Before we moved to Western North Carolina, we took a scouting trip to the area and stayed at a lovely bed and breakfast in Asheville. My absolute favorite part of my stay was the decadent smells of breakfast that would work their way up to our room as we were getting ready to head down to the dining room. As we settled into our seats at the communal tables with anticipation, the innkeeper would bring in a parade of items, from brioche french toast to cajun seasoned home fries to fresh fruit and whipped cream. It was a heavenly way to start the day...and something that I reserve only for vacations.

That's partly why I love having overnight guests. It gives me an excuse to make large breakfasts and to try new, hearty recipes. So, with the memory of that brioche french toast, I decided to give bread pudding a try. I must admit that prior to last week, I had never before even had bread pudding. I had no idea what I was missing. It is sweet, moist and delicious - almost like a baked french toast.

As you may recall, I had an extra loaf of tsoureki (a sweet Greek bread) after Easter and I had been planning all kinds of deliciousness with it. That's when the bread pudding experiment first came to mind, so I started searching for recipes (keeping in mind the contents of my pantry) and finally settled on this one.

Ingredients:

• 16 slices bread, cubed
• 1 cup raisins
• 2 (12 fluid ounce) cans Evaporated Milk
• 4 large eggs, beaten
• 4 tablespoons butter, melted
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 Tablespoon brandy or whiskey (optional)

Put cubed bread and raisins into a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients and whisk together until thoroughly combined. Pour the wet ingredients on top of the bread cubes. Mix it well and pour it into one or two baking dishes. Allow it to sit and soak up the sweet goodness for 15-30 minutes. Then, just pop it in an oven preheated to 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes, or until the top is golden.

Then, take it out of the oven, allow it to cool and breathe deeply to take in the sweet smells of the baked bread. I made a half batch of the recipe above because I wasn't sure exactly how it would come out...and the Irishman and I finished the entire amount in one sitting. In other words, it was good. And tasty. And you should seriously consider making this...or just plan on visiting us. There are always rooms open at the inn.