Bread Pudding Surprise

Photo: flickr user Andrew Currie

Ingredients

4 cups Day-old French bread, (torn into one-inch pieces)

2 cups Milk

1 cup Apple juice

1 whl egg plus

4 Egg whites

cup Sugar

1 teaspoon Vanilla

1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon Cinnamon

1/2 cup Raisins, (up to ¾)

1 tablespoon Margarine

6 tablespoons Fresh bread crumbs

1 tablespoon Brown sugar

Preparation

I love this bread pudding recipe because it makes me feel connected to my grandmother and to my father. My father learned the bread pudding recipe from his mother, then gave it to me and my brothers and sister. It is a recipe that will be passed to my children and, hopefully, to their children, Consequently, the bread pudding recipe will be perpetual.

Preheat oven to 350F. Warm the milk and apple juice in saucepan. Beat egg and egg whites in bowl; add 1/3 cup sugar, vanilla, nutmeg, and cinnamon; add bread, warm milk, and juice. Let mixture sit 20 minutes. Grease the bread pan with 1/2 of the margarine. Layer the bottom of the pan with 1/3 of the mixture; sprinkle with 1/2 of the raisins, repeat procedure for next layer, then end with bread mixture on top layer. In frying pan melt remaining margarine; add fresh bread cru

(approximately 45 to 60 minutes). Remove from oven with mitts, cool, then refrigerate.

Serves 12.