Simple Bread Pudding w Butter Rum Sauce

This recipe incorporates all the main components of french toast, so feel free to serve it for breakfast with some maple syrup instead of butter rum sauce if you prefer.

Ingredients
1 c dark and/or golden raisins
1/4 c dark or spiced rum
1 loaf of French bread, 1 day old and cubed
1 qt. whole milk, or coconut milk (can also use half and half)
3 T butter, melted
3 eggs
2 c granulated sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp Kosher salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Butter Rum Sauce
1 stick of butter
1 c sugar
1 egg
2/3 c dark or spiced Rum

Soak the raisins in the rum for 1-2 hours.

In a large bowl, add the bread. Pour all the milk over top and let soak. Set aside.
In a medium bowl add eggs, sugar, vanilla, spices & salt. Set aside.

After the raisins are done soaking, pour the melted butter into a 13x9 pan and using a pastry brush, spread across bottom and up sides.  Next, pour the egg mixture into the bread mixture. Drain the raisins and stir into mixture. Dump entire mixture into the prepare pan, and bake for 35-40 minutes or until the top is lightly browned and the bread starts to pull away from the sides. Make sauce.

Add all sauce ingredients to a sauce pan and cook over medium heat, whisking continuously until it thickens slightly more. Do not allow to simmer or boil as that could curdle your sauce.  Pour a little of the sauce over individual servings of bread pudding on the plate.

Remember: This also makes an excellent French Toast Casserole served with maple syrup. Another variation would be to serve as a sweet treat topped with store bought caramel sauce.

Enjoy!