Milk Raisin Bread Pudding with Spiced Apples

Heat oven to 350 F. In a mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, brown sugar, vanilla and salt. Gradually whisk in milk. Scatter bread in a shallow 1-1/2-quart casserole or 8-inch baking pan. Pour milk mixture over bread, pushing bread down to thoroughly saturate. Bake about 40 minutes or until puffed and browned, and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Mix apricot jam and water and brush on top of hot pudding. Serve bread pudding warm or at room temperature with Spiced Apples and a dollop of whipped cream, if desired.

Note: Bread pudding may be assembled the day before and refrigerated covered. Allow an extra 10 to 15 minutes baking time.

Makes 6 servings.

Spiced Apples

Ingredients:

1/4 cup Real California butter

1/3 cup water

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

3/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (or substitute 1/4 teaspoon each of ground cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg, and 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves)

3 small or 2 large red-skin apples, cored, quartered and sliced

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Directions:

Melt butter in a medium saucepan; stir in water, sugar and pumpkin pie spice. Stir over medium heat until sugar melts and sauce is smooth. Add apples; cook, basting with sauce, until apples are barely tender. Stir in lemon juice. Serve hot with bread pudding.

Microwave Directions:

Bread Pudding

In a 4-cup glass measuring cup, microwave milk on high (100 percent power) 2 to 2 1/2 minutes until hot but not boiling. Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, vanilla and salt together. Gradually stir in heated milk. Scatter bread in a microwavable 1-1/2 inch quart casserole or 8-inch glass baking dish. Pour milk mixture over bread; push down to thoroughly saturate. Cover loosely with wax paper and cook on high for 3 minutes. Rotate the pudding one quarter turn, reduce power to Medium (50 percent power), and cook 4 to 6 minutes longer, until a knife inserted 1 inch from the center comes out clean. Let pudding stand directly on a counter 10 minutes to equalize the heat and finish cooking. Glaze and serve as directed above.

Spiced Apples

Combine butter, 1/4 cup water (instead of 1/3 cup directed above), sugar and spice in microwavable bowl or large pie plate. Microwave on High 2 to 3 minutes until butter has melted. Add apple slices and baste with sauce. Microwave 3 1/2 to 6 minutes until fruit just becomes tender, stirring apples once and basting with sauce. Stir in lemon juice.