Apple Raisin Bread Pudding

Total Time: 1 hr 20 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 50 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 8 slices cinnamon raisin bread, quartered
• 1 lb golden delicious apple, peeled, halved lengthwise, cored and thinly sliced crosswise (2 medium)
• 1/2 cup sugar or 1/2 cup splenda sugar substitute, plus
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 3 cups half-and-half
• 6 large eggs
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Recipe

• 1 put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°f.
• 2 arrange quartered bread in 1 layer on a large(17-by 13-inch)baking sheet and toast until pale golden, 10 to 12 minutes, then cool on baking sheet; leave oven on.
• 3 meanwhile, toss apples with 3 tablespoons sugar in a bowl until coated; cook in a dry 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderate heat, swirling skillet and turning slices over occasionally, until tender and pale golden about 15 minutes.
• 4 combine bread and apples in a 2-quart souffle or 2-inch deep baking dish(about 8-by 12-inch oval) note; when i made this i layered the bread putting the apples between the layer of bread using an 8x8x2-inch glass baking dish.
• 5 whisk together half and half, eggs, and remaining 1/2 cup sugar with salt in a bowl; then pour mixture over bread and apples; let soak at room temperature 15 minutes.
• 6 bake in a water bath(see note at bottom of page) until edge is set but center still trembles slightly when dish is gently shaken, 50 minutes to 1 hour for a souffle dish or 35 to 40 minutes for shallow dish. cool pudding to warm in baking dish on a wire rack, about 1 hour (pudding will continue to set as it cools).
• 7 to prepare water bath for baking; put your filled pan in a larger pan and add enough boiling-hot water to reach halfway up the side of the pan with the pudding in it.