Raisin Meringue Bread Pudding

Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 2 cups raisins (dark or light)
• 2 cups day-old bread cubes (plain, raisin* or egg bread)
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons butter (melted) or 2 tablespoons margarine (melted)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 egg yolks (beaten (reserve whites for topping)
• 2 cups milk
• boiling water, for baking
• 2 egg whites
• 2 -3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon grated orange rind

Recipe

• 1 toss the raisins with bread cubes; set aside.
• 2 combine brown sugar, salt, butter or margarine, vanilla, egg yolks and milk and beat until well-blended. pour onto bread and raisins, toss to combine, and let sit for 1/2 hour.
• 3 preheat oven to 350. grease an 8x8" baking dish, or spray with non-stick spray. you will also need a larger, shallow baking pan.
• 4 set the larger pan on the oven rack and place the 8x8 dish inside. fill the outside pan to 1 inch deep with hot water.
• 5 bake for about 50 minutes, or until just barely firm. while baking, prepare orange meringue.
• 6 remove pudding from oven and spread with meringue, making sure you bring it to the edges. return to the oven for 10 minutes or until meringue is lightly brown.
• 7 orange meringue;
• 8 beat egg whites until fluffy. gradually add the sugar, beating until stiff peaks form. fold in grated orange peel. spread on baked pudding.
• 9 * if using raisin bread, cut back a bit on the raisins. also,the original recipe called for 3 tbs. sugar in the meringue, which i found a bit sweet. i cut it down to about 2 1/2 tbs., use your personal taste.