Peach and Pecan Bread Pudding

Photo: flickr user indichick7

Ingredients

12 slc (about 3/4 in. thick) French

Bread

1/2 cup Butter -- melted

4 cups Half-and-half

1 1/4 cups Sugar

10 Egg yolks

1 teaspoon Vanilla extract

1 pch Salt

4 lrg Peaches, peeled, pitted --

And thinly sliced

1 cup Toasted pecan halves

Vanilla ice cream or whipped

Cream -- for accompaniment

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Brush bread with some of the melted butter. Put bread slices on a baking sheet and bake until golden brown

(about 10 minutes).

2. In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, bring half-and-half to a simmer (bubbles will appear at edge of pan). In a 3-quart bowl, beat sugar with egg yolks; whisk hot half-and-half into egg-sugar mixture. Stir in vanilla and salt; set aside.

3. Pour remaining butter into a 9- by 12-inch baking dish. Place 6 bread slices in dish; strain half of egg-custard mixture through a wire mesh strainer over bread. Distribute sliced peaches over bread-custard mixture; top with pecans. Arrange remaining bread over fruit and strain remaining egg-custard mixture over bread. Let stand 1 hour, covered with plastic wrap, or refrigerate up to 6 hours.

4. If refrigerated, remove from refrigerator about 2 hours before serving.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Bake, uncovered, until golden brown and slightly crusty (about 1-3/4 hours). Serve warm, cut into squares and topped with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.