Bread Pudding

This recipe is largely based on the Mexican Christmas Bread Pudding from Sheila Lukins' All Around the World Cookbook, but I made some changes.

1 (ca 1 pound) panettone (or similar fruit studded bread)
4 cups half-and-half
1/2 cup candied orange peel
1/2 cup dried cranberries
3 tbs Cointreau (or other orange liquor)
1 tbs unslated butter
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanillan extract

• Slice the panettone into thick slices, toast them for a minute or less on both sides under a preheated broiler. Be careful not to burn them. Once cool tear them to large chunks. In large bowl toss them with the half-and-half. Set aside for an hour, tossing occasionally.
• Toss the candied orange peel and dried cranberries with 2 tbs of the cointreau. Set aside.
• Preheat oven to 325˚F. Butter a 13x9-inch baking pan and coat with sugar the same way you'd butter and flour a pan. Shake out the excess.
• Whisk the sugar, vanilla, eggs and 1 tbs Cointreau till smooth. Add to the bread, along with the dried fruit and mix well.
• Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake till the top is golden brown, about 1 hour. Let it cool.

The original recipe calls for an orange liquor sauce, but it is far too sweet. The bread pudding doesn't need any sauce at all anyway. If anything I would make a sweet and tangy vine sauce.