Peach Pit Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce

Makes 6 to 9 servings

4 cups diced peaches (6 to 8 medium peaches)

6 cups torn brioche bread (a little stale is perfect)

8 eggs

1⁄2 cup heavy whipping cream steeped with peach kernels (see note) or mixed with 1⁄2 teaspoon almond extract

1⁄4 cup packed brown sugar

Pinch of salt

Bourbon butter sauce:

1⁄2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

1 cup sugar

6 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

2 tablespoons bourbon

1⁄2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter an 8-inch square glass baking dish.

Add diced peaches to pan with torn bread, and gently toss.

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, peach kernel-steeped cream (see note), brown sugar and salt. Pour custard over bread and peaches. Bake in preheated oven 45 to 60 minutes, until middle is puffy and cooked through. After 20 minutes, cover with a bit of foil to keep bread from getting too dark.

Make bourbon butter sauce: Melt butter in a saucepan. Whisk in sugar, cream, bourbon and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce to a gentle simmer and cook about 4 minutes, until thickened. Serve warm over bread pudding.

Note: Save 15 peach, apricot, nectarine or plum pits in a bag in the freezer. When ready, place them in a plastic bag in a towel and crush them with a hammer or mallet. Gather up the kernels.

Warm 1⁄2 cup cream in a small saucepan. Add the kernels and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat, steep overnight and then strain out the kernels.