Cinnamon Toast Bread Pudding with Pineapple and Caramel

Makes 6-8 servings; Total Time: 1/1/2 hours + Chilling overnight

Ingredients

For the Toast --
Spread with butter:
10 slices Texas toast-style bread

Combine; Sprinkle on Bread and Broil:
½ cup sugar
1 t ground cinnamon


Fro the Caramel and Pineapple—
Boil:
1 cup brown sugar
6 T heavy cream

Add and Simmer:
6 rings fresh pineapple (1/2" thick), cut into half-moons (I used canned)


For the Custard:
Whisk:
1 cup whole milk
¾ cup heavy cream
4 eggs
? cup sugar 
1 t vanilla extract
Pinch of salt


For the Maple Whipped Cream –
Whip to Soft peaks:
1 cup heavy cream
¼ cup pure maple syrup

Serve pudding with:
Maple Whipped Cream
Toasted chopped pecans

Instructions

Prepare broiler to high with rack two notches down from the broiler element

Spread both sides of bread with soft butter for the toast

Combine cinnamon and sugar.  Sprinkle both sides of bread with cinnamon sugar and arrange on a baking sheet.  Watching carefully, broil until brown on one side.  Flip and broil the second side until browned.  Cool tast on a rack.

Boil brown sugar and cream for the caramel in a skillet over medium-high heat.

Add pineapple and simmer 2-3 minutes , spooning caramel over the fruit.  Arrange pineapple in an ungreased 11 x 7" baking dish and drizzle with half the caramel.

Whisk together all ingredients for the custard in a large pitcher.  

To assemble the pudding, tear toast in half, then arrange some of the halves in a single layer over the pineapple, fitting as tightly as possible.  Drizzle with the rest of the caramel and half the custard.  Top with the rest of the toast.  

Drizzle remaining custard over the bread, then lightly press bread down to saturate.  Cover pudding with plastic wrap and chill overnight.

In the morning, bake pudding at 325° until puffed and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean – about 1 hour.  Cool 5 minutes, loosen edges with a knife, then invert onto a platter.

Whip cream and syrup together.
Serve warm pudding with Maple Whipped Cream and tasted pecans..

Notes

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