Slow Cooker Fruit Cake Bread Pudding

In a small saucepan over medium heat, heat the cream sherry until warm.

Place the raisins in one bowl and the cherries in another. Divide the warm sherry between the two bowls. Stir each well and set aside.

Bring the water in the bottom of a double boiler to a simmer (not a boil). In the top of the double boiler, combine the egg yolks, cream, sugar, and salt. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thick.

Turn off the heat under the double boiler and let cool for one minute. Remove the top of the double boiler (carefully as it will still be hot) and rest it in a shallow bowl of ice water. Stir the custard for 1-2 minutes or until it cools. Stir in the vanilla.

Cut the bread into 1/2-inch cubes and fold into the cooled custard mixture.

Grease a 6 cup tower mold (without tube). Drain the cherries but reserve the sherry. Place 1/4th of the cherries in the bottom of the greased mold. Top with half the raisins. Add 1/4th of the custard mixture then drizzle with some of the sherry (about 2 tablespoons).

Repeat the layers ending with the sherry (pour all the remaining sherry over the last layer).

Cover the mold tightly with aluminum foil. Place in the crock pot.

Pour the water around the mold in the crock pot.

Cover the crock pot and cook on low heat for 5 hours or until the bread pudding springs back when gently touched.

While the bread pudding is cooking, prepare the sherry sauce by mixing the egg yolks, powdered sugar, sherry and vanilla in a bowl. Mix well.

In another bowl, beat the whipped cream until stiff peaks form. Fold the whipped cream into the egg mixture. Cover and place in the refrigerator until serving time.

When the bread pudding is done, remove the mold carefully from the crock pot and let stand on a cooling rack for 10 minutes.

Carefully unmold it onto a serving plate. Serve the bread pudding warm with the chilled sherry sauce.