raspberry bread pudding

there's this quaint little sandwich shop in provo, ut (where i went to college at BYU) that has delicious.... everything. for the most part its a pretty healthy place to lunch, too.

with the most delicious exception - kneaders' raspberry bread pudding. wow. it's too good. but it's also too bad, made with whole cream.

so after too much time craving it i found a copy cat recipe on the sisters cafe, deciding i just had to have it since it isn't down the street anymore. but when i went to buy half and half to make it a bit lighter i made an amazing discovery. did you know that wal-mart has fat free half and half? i didn't. (i'm not sure what is in it to make it half and half since half and half is 1/2 cream, 1/2 milk. don't ask don't tell.) but now i do and i would gladly take this drastically fat and calorie reduced version of this delicious dessert over the original any day.

it makes a ton - a perfect dessert to serve at a big Christmas dinner. i hope you enjoy it at yours.

i keep forgetting to take a picture. it gets eaten too fast. and you can make it without the vanilla sauce. it's still amazing and then there is no butter or oil in the whole thing. you decide how to splurge.

kneaders' raspberry bread pudding
healthified from the sister's cafe

10-12 servings

cream mix

1 1/2 loaves aged, french bread

1 quart fat free half and half

3 cups sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

in large bowl combine cream, sugar, egg and vanilla. cut bread into 1 1/2" cubes (or do this ahead and let it sit out and get stale to "age" it!) and add to cream mixture, coating bread well. let stand 30 minutes stirring every 5 minutes to allow cream to absorb completely.

fruit filling
5 cups frozen raspberries

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup apple juice

combine raspberries, sugar and apple juice, stirring until sugar is dissolved.

layer a roasting pan (13x9 is too small!) 3/4 full with bread mixture, pour fruit filling over bread mixture, spreading evenly, top with remaining bread. bake 40 minutes at 375 degrees. serve warm. top with vanilla sauce.

vanilla sauce (makes enough for 2 batches of bread pudding with how much we put on!)
1 1/3 cup butter

5 tablespoons flour

3 cups fat free half and half

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/3 cup sugar

over medium heat melt butter, and add flour stir 10 minutes until it has a nutty aroma, do not brown. add cream and sugar and boil till mixture is thick, remove from heat adding vanilla. serve this wonderful sauce cold.

store leftovers in fridge and eat for breakfast. but don't tell anyone i told you to do that.