Rum Raisin Bread Pudding

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Lightly oil sides and bottom of 9" x 12" baking dish.

Apportion bread by cutting, slicing or tearing apart. (Pieces uniform in size look best when finished).

Place bread in pan. Add raisins, randomly spreading around bread.

Mix eggs and sugar together.

To milk add cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla extract, melted butter and heavy cream. Stir.

Pour egg mix into milk mix. Stir. Pour egg and milk mix over bread and raisins distributing evenly.

Cover and soak 30 minutes When finished bread will be swollen and will have absorbed most of the liquid. Excess liquid, if any can be spooned off.

Bake 45 minutes to one hour with pan in center of oven. To test for doneness, stick knife in center. Knife should come out clean.

Let sit 20 minutes.

Cut into squares or serve in decorative dish with scoop.

Soak raisins in 1/2 cup rum overnight in refrigerator.

Use fork to mash raisins to extract as much raisin flavor as possible.

Remove raisin skins and discard.

Stir remaining 1/4 cup rum into rum raisin liquid.

Over low heat, melt butter in small sauce pan. Slowly add confectioner's sugar while stirring constantly. Stir well.

Add rum and heat for an additional minute or two.

Drizzle over bread pudding. Serve immediately.

1 16-ounce can cherries (for pie filling)

Chill in refrigerator or serve at room temperature. Spoon over bread pudding.

Bread can be loaf, sliced or pre-cut cubes; white, wheat, raisin or any type of bread. If using loaf bread such as French or baguette cut into 1 inch slices and then into quarters, or smaller. Sliced bread can be torn into ragged pieces. For pre-cut cubes, use as is. Remember, uniform pieces make the finished dish more appealing to the eye. Here's a tip! Don't let leftover stale bread be the only reason you make this classic dessert. Whenever you want to enjoy this treat buy your bread a day or two early. Open the bread and then loosely reseal.