Bread Pudding - Chef Eileen Quinn

Here's a bread pudding that is not like Mom used to make!

1 stick (8 oz.) unsalted butter
½ loaf French bread or baguette with crust, cubed
1 lb. brown sugar
1 ½ cups water
1 ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and chopped
1 cup walnuts, chopped
½ lb. cream cheese chilled and chopped
Whipping cream for garnish

Preheat oven to 350F. Butter a 9X13 inch glass baking dish.

Melt the butter in a medium sauce pan, add the bread cubes and stir to coat evenly. Spread the cubes on a baking sheet and bake 15 minutes or until lightly brown and crisp. Remove the bread the turn the oven up to 400F.

Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the cinnamon. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the apples, walnuts, cream cheese and toasted bread cubes. Drizzle with the sugar syrup and mix to distribute evenly. Transfer the mixture to the baking dish.

Bake, uncovered, for 15 minutes and stir occasionally. Then bake an additional 5 minutes without stirring until the top is golden and crusty and liquid is almost entirely evaporated.

Serve warm with pitchers of whipping cream for adding at the table. Makes 8 to 10 servings.