Buy cranberry focaccia, challah, raisin bread, croissants or even Danish pastry for this recipe. Serve with eggnog or vanilla ice cream, or with hard sauce if you want to stay with tradition.
Servings: 6 to 8
Ingredients
1 cup raisins 1 cup dried cranberries, such as Ocean Spray Craisins ¼ cup rum ¼ cup water 7 cups cubed bread 2 cups whipping or light cream 1 cup milk 6 eggs 1½ teaspoons vanilla essence ¼ cup brown sugar
Method
Combine raisins and cranberries, rum and water in pot. Simmer gently for two minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Liberally butter an 8-cup ovenproof stainless-steel bowl. Place a round of parchment paper on base of bowl.
Beat cream, milk, eggs, vanilla essence and sugar together in a bowl. Drain fruit and add liquid to the egg mixture. Beat well.
Layer bread, then fruit. Continue layering fruit and bread, finishing with a layer of bread.
Pour as much of the egg mixture as you can over top, adding more as it's absorbed. Let sit for 15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 325 F. Place bowl on baking sheet. Bake, uncovered, for about one hour or until skewer comes out clean.
Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes. With a spatula, loosen sides and turn out onto plate.
Lucy Waverman