Creme Caramel Bread Pudding

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups dark brown sugar, packed

4 1/2 cups 1/2-inch-cubes crustless egg bread (such as challah)

7 eggs

2 cups heavy whipping cream

1 cup whole milk

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

2 pinches salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread brown sugar evenly in bottom of 8" square baking dish. Sprinkle bread cubes evenly over sugar.

In a large bowl, combine eggs, cream, milk, sugar, vanilla, nutmeg and salt; whisk to blend well. Pour custard over bread in dish. Let pudding stand 30 minutes, occasionally pressing on bread to submerge.

Position rack in center of oven. Place baking dish in roasting pan. Pour enough lukewarm water into roasting pan to come halfway up sides of baking dish. Bake pudding until set, brown on top, and small knife inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool in water for 20 minutes.

Spoon bread pudding into dessert bowls and serve warm.

Bob's Tip: To keep the water in the roasting pan from boiling (which would affect the texture of the pudding), add six ice cubes to the water every 10 minutes to bring down the temperature.