Bread Pudding with Whiskey Sauce

Bread Pudding With Whiskey Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 Loaf French Bread
  
• 1 qt Milk (use WHOLE milk, you wuss)
  
• 3 Eggs
  
• 2 C Sugar
  
• 2 T Vanilla
  
• 3 T Butter (unsalted works best, for flavor)
  
• 1 C Raisins (or craisins)
• A sprinkling of slivered almonds (if you like a little crunch)
  

Method:

• Soak the bread in milk and melted butter.
  
• Crush with hands till well mixed. (This is fun with kids, because they can get their hands all "gooshy.")
  
• Add eggs, sugar, vanilla and raisins and stir well.
• Pour the batter in the bottom of thick pan and bake at ~350° for 2 hours until very firm.
• Let it cool; then cube pudding and put it in individual dessert dish. (I use funky little ramekins.)
  
• When ready to serve, add sauce and heat under broiler.
• Serve with Whiskey Sauce.
• If you're really feeling decadent, fresh whipped cream, or REAL vanilla bean ice cream goes well with this.
  

Ingredients for Whiskey Sauce:

• 1 Stick Butter
  
• 1 C Sugar (I use brown sugar, but white sugar is good, as well.)
  
• 1 Egg

Method:

• Cream the sugar and egg until well mixed.
• Add melted butter and continue to dissolve.
• Whisk the mixture briskly
  
• Add whiskey to taste while whisking, which should make sauce creamy and smooth.

(I've been known to use Amaretto -- or any cordial/liquer -- rather than whiskey. This has been denounced as black heresey by my grandmother, but she concedes that my Amaretto sauce is tasty.)