NEW ORLEANS BREAD PUDDING WITH LEMON SAUCE

During the preparation of this dish, the milk-and-eggs mixture is too sweet and all the elements are very strong because they will be absorbed by bland bread. After baking, the result is a magnificent pudding.

3 large eggs

1 ¼ cups sugar

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

1 ¼ teaspoons ground nutmeg

1 ¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon

¼ cup unsalted butter, melted

2 cups milk

½ cup raisins or other dried fruit, like

cherries

½ cup coarsely chopped pecans, roasted 5 cups very stale French or Italian bread

cubes, with crusts on

Lemon Sauce (recipe follows) Whipped cream for serving

In a large bowl of an electric mixer, beat the eggs on high speed until extremely frothy and bubbles are the size of pinheads, about 3 minutes (or with a metal whisk for about 6 minutes). Add the sugar, vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon and butter and beat on high until well blended. Beat in the milk, then stir in the raisins and pecans.

Place the bread cubes in a greased loaf pan. Pour the egg mixture over them and toss until the bread is soaked. Let sit until you see only a narrow bead of liquid around the pan’s edges, about 45 minutes, patting the bread down into the liquid occasionally. Place in a preheated 350-degree oven. Immediately lower the heat to 300 degrees and bake 40 minutes. Increase temperature to 425 degrees and bake until pudding is well browned and puffy, about 15 to 20 minutes more.

To serve, put 1 ½ tablespoons warm lemon sauce in each dessert dish, then spoon in ½ cup hot bread pudding and top with whipped cream.

Makes 8 servings.

Per serving, entire recipe: 610 calories (percent of calories from fat, 50), 9 grams protein, 66 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, 36 grams total fat (19 grams saturated), 157 milligrams cholesterol, 182 milligrams sodium.

LEMON SAUCE

1 lemon, halved

½ cup water

¼ cup sugar

2 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in ¼ cup

water

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Squeeze 2 tablespoons lemon juice from the lemon halves. To a 1-quart saucepan, add the lemon juice, lemon halves, water and sugar and bring to a boil. Stir in the dissolved cornstarch and vanilla. Cook 1 minute over high heat, stirring constantly. Strain, squeezing the sauce from the lemon rinds.

Makes about ¾ cup.

Per tablespoon: 20 calories (percent of calories from fat, 1), trace protein, 5 grams carbohydrates, trace fiber, trace total fat (no saturated fat), no cholesterol, trace sodium.

New Orleans Bread Pudding with Lemon Sauce.