Bread Pudding

Down in New Orleans, crusty French bread is often served with meals. This bread can get dry and hard pretty fast. So here's a delicious way to use up all that leftover stale bread.

You'll need:

• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup of sugar
• 1/2 stick of butter - melted
• 2 cups of skimmed milk
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 4 cups of stale French or Italian Bread - cut in cubes
• 1/2 cup of raisins
• 1/2 cup of unsalted walnuts or pecans - optional
• 1 pint of whipping cream
• 2 teaspoons sugar or sugar substitute

Equipment:

• Measuring spoons and cups
• A loaf pan
• A large bowl
• A whisk or electric beater
• A blender

1. Break the eggs and put them into the bowl and whisk.
2. Add the melted butter and milk and stir well.
3. Add the sugar, vanilla, nutmeg and cinnamon and mix. Make sure the lumps of spice are broken up.
4. Now add the bread and let it soak for at least an hour and as long as overnight.
5. When you're ready to bake the bread pudding, heat the oven to 350 degrees.
6. Grease the sides and bottom of the loaf pan.
7. Put a layer of bread then scatter a thin layer of nuts and raisins on top.
8. Add more layers of bread, scattering some more fruit and nuts between each layer until the pan is full.
9. Pour any remaining liquid over the bread.
10. Press any raisins or nuts on the surface down into the pudding so they don't get burned.
11. Put the pudding in the oven and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour. You'll know the pudding is done when the top is golden brown with darker brown peaks.
12. Take the bread pudding out of the oven and let it begin to cool.
13. Pour the pint of whipping cream into the blender.
14. Add the sugar or sugar substitute.
15. Turn the blender on to whip or high for about two minutes. If all the cream isn't whipped turn the blender on for another minute or so until all the whipped cream is stuck to the sides of the blender jar.