The bread used in bread pudding can give the flavor of the dish a slightly ethnic tilt; this version uses Jewish egg bread challah. Italian pannetone, French brioche, Greek Easter bread, or Portugese sweet bread would be interesting variations.

Serves 10

Ingredients

3 large eggs
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
2 cups milk
1 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter
2 Jonagold or Golden Delicious apples, peeled and cored
1 loaf day-old challah (about 23 ounces), crusts removed
1/3 cup dried cherries
1/2 cup chopped almonds
Whipped cream (optional)

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. In large bowl with electric mixer, beat eggs with 1 cup sugar until pale in color. Beat in milk, cream, extracts, zest, and cinnamon. Set aside.
2. Slice apples into 1/8-inch-thick wedges. In skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat; add apples and saute 3 minutes. Sprinkle apples with remaining tablespoon sugar and saute 1 to 2 minutes or until sugar dissolves.
3. Cut bread into 2-inch cubes. Add bread cubes and dried cherries to custard mixture and stir to coat the bread well on all sides. Toast almonds in oven 3 to 5 minutes or just until golden and fragrant. Generously butter a 2-quart baking dish. Sprinkle toasted almonds over bottom of dish. Layer half the apples over the almonds.
4. Ladle half the custard-soaked bread cubes over the apples in dish. Layer the remaining apples over the bread and, finally, top with remaining custard-soaked bread. Bake for 40 minutes or until pudding is firm. Cool till warm or room temperature. Serve with whipped cream, if desired.

Thanks to the Washington Apple Website for this recipe.