Cucina's Restaurant Custard Bread Pudding With Caramel Sauce

In medium saucepan, heat milk until scalded (180 degrees F). Set aside.

In large bowl, beat eggs, egg yolk and sugar vigorously for 30 seconds. Add vanilla. Very slowly add hot milk to egg mixture, beating slowly at the same time.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Place bread cubes in a 1 1/2-quart glass baking dish. Pour custard mixture over bread cubes, mixing to facilitate absorption. Place baking dish in larger-diameter pan. Pour lukewarm water in larger pan until water comes two-thirds up the sides of baking dish. Bake in preheated oven 45 minutes or until set.

While pudding bakes, make caramel sauce (see below). When pudding is done, pour slightly cooled sauce over warm pudding.

For Caramel Sauce: Put sugar in a deep saucepan. Stir constantly over medium-high heat until sugar liquefies and turns a mahogany brown color. Immediately add cream and stir until all sugar is dissolved.

When adding the cream to the sugar, be careful, as the cream will cause the melted sugar to boil up. The sugar will also become hard again, but keep stirring and it will eventually dissolve. Cool mixture slightly and serve with the pudding.

Recipe Source: Cucina's Restaurant, Milwaukee