Orange & Cherry Bread-and-butter Pudding

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

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1/2 cup dried cherries
• 1/2 cup rum
• 11 slices challah or 11 slices brioche bread, about 1 inch thick
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 cup sugar, divided use
• 6 large eggs, beaten
• 3 large egg yolks, beaten
• 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons orange zest
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Recipe

• 1 preheat the oven to 350°f generously brush a large, shallow baking dish with the softened butter.
• 2 place the cherries in a bowl and add enough rum just to moisten. cut the bread into 1-inch cubes. arrange the bread cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet, drizzle with the melted butter, and toast in the oven, stirring once or twice, until golden brown, 8-10 minutes.
• 3 to make the custard, bring the milk and half of the sugar to a boil in a medium saucepan. whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, vanilla, and remaining half of the sugar in a medium bowl. gradually add about one-third of the hot milk mixture to the eggs, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. add the egg mixture to the remaining hot milk. reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring constantly, until the custard coats the back of the spoon. remove from the heat and strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve. chill the custard in an ice bath until cooled, at least 1 hour.
• 4 stir the orange zest, cinnamon, and salt into the cooled custard. drain the cherries and add them to the custard along with the toasted bread cubes. let this mixture set until the bread cubes have soaked up the custard and softened.
• 5 ladle the custard mixture into the prepared baking dish. bake in a water bath for 65-70 minutes. remove the dish from the water bath, wipe down the sides and bottoms of the baking dish, and place on a cooling rack for at least 1 hour. serve warm or refrigerate until fully cooled before serving.