Photo by Liska
Liska's Notes:
Expand12 Slices White Bread, preferably somewhat dried out Ask a question about this ingredient
1/2 cup Butter, softened Ask a question about this ingredient
3/4 cups Apricot Jam Ask a question about this ingredient
5 tablespoons Cointreau Ask a question about this ingredient
1/4 cup Raisins Ask a question about this ingredient
1/4 cup Dried Cranberries Ask a question about this ingredient
1/4 cup Dried Apricots, chopped Ask a question about this ingredient
Zest 1 Orange Ask a question about this ingredient
1/4 cup White Chocolate Chunks Ask a question about this ingredient
1 1/3 cup Full Cream Milk Ask a question about this ingredient
1 1/3 cup Heavy Cream Ask a question about this ingredient
2 tablespoons Fine Sugar Ask a question about this ingredient
1 tablespoon Orange Flower Blossom Water Ask a question about this ingredient
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract Ask a question about this ingredient
Grease a 9-inch square baking dish.
Ask a question about this stepPreheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Ask a question about this stepHeat 1 Tbsp Cointreau, and use to soak raisins.
Ask a question about this stepRemove crusts from bread.
Ask a question about this stepButter bread, then slather with apricot jam.
Ask a question about this stepCut 4 slices bread into 6 rectangles each. Lay pieces flat in baking dish so as to cover bottom, jam side up.
Ask a question about this stepRemove raisins from Cointreau and reserve any remaining liquid.
Ask a question about this stepSprinkle bread layer with raisins, dried cranberries, dried apricots, orange zest and white chocolate.
Ask a question about this stepCut remaining slices of bread into 9 rectangles each. Lay down perpendicularly to existing layer, so that when looking down the top of the entire dish is filled with edges. There is no need to make it even or pretty.
Ask a question about this stepHeat milk, cream, sugar, orange flower water, vanilla extract and 4 Tbsp plus any reserved Cointreau to just below boiling.
Ask a question about this stepWhisk eggs in a heat-proof bowl.
Ask a question about this stepSlowly whisk a little of heated mixture into eggs. Gradually whisk in all of hot liquid. Pour over bread and let soak for 30 minutes.
Ask a question about this stepDollop top of bread pudding with any left over apricot jam and sprinkle lightly with nutmeg.
Ask a question about this stepBake 40-45 minutes in a bain-marie.
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Chef Michael Kiss is the Cooking Coach at Whole Foods Market in Rockville, Md.
This sounds really good!! All that fruit (and the jam), plus the Cointreau, yet very little sugar. I bet this is tasty, indeed. ;o)