KRISTAN’S CINNAMON BREAD PUDDING
WITH WHISKEY GLAZE

1 pound of cinnamon raisin bread (homemade is best for you overachievers, but Pepperidge Farms isn’t bad, either…thick sliced works best)
3 ¼ cups milk
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 ½  teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup golden raisins
1 eight ounce can of crushed or sliced pineapple. If you used sliced, cut into small chunks.

Top with Jack Daniels Browned Butter Sauce (see recipe below)    

Oven: 350 degrees

Tear bread into 1/2-inch square pieces. Don’t smoosh the bread…you want it to be nice and airy. Place bread chunks in bowl. Add milk and stir occasionally until bread absorbs milk…takes about 20 minutes.

In another bowl, beat eggs, then add sugar, vanilla, raisins and pineapple. Mix well. Add to bread mixture and stir gently with rubber spatula.

Pour into 13-by-9 inch baking pan and cover loosely with foil. Bake 45 minutes or until golden brown and puffy. Be gentle when opening the oven door to check…the pudding may fall if you’re not.

Jack Daniels Sauce

½ cup sugar

½ cup water

¾ cup butter

Dash of cinnamon

½ teaspoon vanilla

2 oz. Jack Daniels whiskey

In saucepan, brown the butter (be careful…it turns fast). Add water and sugar, mixing until sugar dissolves. Don’t boil! Turn off heat, add a dash of cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon of vanilla and the whiskey. Mix lightly, then pour over warm pudding. A little whipped cream isn’t going to kill anyone, so go ahead and add that. Taste. Smile. Life is good!