madbaker | Flatter, but still tasty.

This week's Resolution Recipe: Cherry Bread Pudding.

1/2 cup dried cherries
2 Tbsp Grand Marnier or orange juice (I used 1 Tsbp each)
6 cups / 14 oz cubed white bread (I used house-made sourdough, of course)
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup cream (I used 2 cups half-and-half, total)
5 large eggses
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
nutmeg to grate over the top (I used true cinnamon)

Combine cherries and Grand Marnier/orange juice and heat in the microwave until hot, then set aside for the fruit to soften. (I don't have a microwave, so I placed the cup near the stove's heat vent. It worked pretty well.) Grease a 2 quart baking dish and spread the bread cubes in the dish. Whisk together milk, cream, eggses, sugar, vanilla, and salt. Sprinkle the cherries over the bread cubes and pour the milk mixture over the bread and cherries, pressing the bread down into the milk. Let sit for an hour at room temperature, or covered overnight in the fridge.

Heat oven to 350. Uncover the pudding and bake for 45-55 minutes until the top is browned and the middle springs back when lightly pressed. Remove from the oven and grate nutmeg over the top. Serve warm with ice cream.

What worked: Yummy, not overly sweet and a nice cherry flavor that wasn't overwhelming. The cinnamon was nice and the pudding had a nice crunch (see below).

What didn't: I used a 4-quart pan by mistake. The pudding was crunchy on top rather than custardy because of the greater surface area. It was fine but not what the recipe intended.

Will I make it again? It might be nice for another homeowners' meeting. The curvy upstairs neighbor suggested hard sauce, which would be even better than vanilla ice cream. A strong vanilla rather than a "generic" vanilla would also be good...