Brittany's Recipe

Cranberry Apple Bread

Category: Deserts

1 pound loaf cinnamon-raisin bread -- sliced
1 quart milk
3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons lemon zest
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
5 large eggs
2 Rome apples -- cored and cubed
1 cup cranberries -- coarsely chopped
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

***SAUCE:***
3 cups apple cider
1 tablespoon cornstarch -- dissolved in
1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons half and half

Heat oven to 200F degrees. Lay bread slices on racks in oven and bake until bread is dry but not toasted -- about 15 minutes. Remove bread from oven and set aside.

Increase oven temperature to 350F degrees. Grease a 10-inch tube pan. In small saucepan, combine milk, brown sugar, lemon zest, and vanilla; heat on low, stirring, until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat.

In large bowl, beat eggs until frothy; slowly stir in milk mixture. Tear bread into small pieces and add to liquid mixture. Stir in apples, cranberries, and walnuts until blended. Set bread pudding mixture aside five minutes or until bread absorbs most of liquid and softens. Spoon into prepared pan and bake 40 to 45 minutes.

While pudding is cooling, prepare Sauce: In saucepan, simmer cider until reduced to 1-1/2 cups. Stirring constantly, add cornstarch mixture. Bring to boil and cook until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in half-and-half.

Turn pudding out onto plate and serve with Sauce.