NEW ORLEANS BREAD PUDDING
10 to 12 servings
Spread over the bottom of a 13 × 9-inch baking dish:
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
Cut into ½-inch-thick slices:
- 1 ¼ pounds French or Italian bread (1 ½ to 2 loaves)
Arrange the slices almost upright in tightly spaced rows in the prepared dish. Tuck between the slices:
- 1 cup raisins
Whisk in a large bowl until frothy:
- 3 large eggs
- 4 cups whole milk
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 tablespoons vanilla
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pour the liquid over the bread and let stand for 1 hour, periodically pressing the bread down with a spatula to wet the tops of the slices.
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Bake the pudding until the top is puffed and lightly browned, about 1 hour. When it comes out of the oven, cover with:
Let cool on a rack for 30 to 60 minutes, then cut into squares and serve.