New Orleans Bread Pudding

Ingredients
1/4 cup raisins
2 tablespoons bourbon
1 1/4 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Dash of salt
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
4 1/2 cups (1/2-inch) cubed French bread (about 8 ounces)
Cooking spray

Preparation
To prepare pudding, combine raisins and 2 tablespoons bourbon in a bowl. Let stand 30 minutes. Drain mixture in a sieve over a bowl, reserving liquid.
Combine reserved liquid, milk, and next 6 ingredients (milk through eggs) in a large bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Add bread, tossing gently to coat. Spoon mixture into an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle evenly with raisins, pressing gently into bread mixture. Cover with foil; chill 30 minutes or up to 4 hours.

Preheat oven to 350°. Place dish in a 13 x 9-inch baking pan; add hot water to pan to a depth of 1 inch. Bake, covered, at 350° for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

309 (24% from fat)

Fat:

8.2g (sat 4.3g,mono 2.7g,poly 0.6g)

Protein:

5.6g

Carbohydrate:

47.6g

Fiber:

1g

Cholesterol:

87mg

Iron:

1.1mg

Sodium:

272mg

Calcium:

74mg

Jean Patterson, Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2002