Bread Pudding with Malagasy Vanilla Rum Sauce

Ingredients

FOR THE BREAD PUDDING:
• 1 ½ loaves stale French bread, sliced into thick pieces
• 2 cups milk
• 1 stick butter
• 4 eggs
• ½ cup sugar
• Raisins
• Dried plums
• White peaches
• Slow-cooker
FOR THE VANILLA RUM SAUCE:
• 6 oz vanilla rum
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 cup cream or half-and-half

Instructions

FOR THE BREAD PUDDING:
1. Slice the bread into thick pieces, about 1 ½ inches thick, and leave it out for a day or two so that it hardens up a bit.
2. In a slow cooker, add the bread and milk. If you want to be extra decadent, you can use half-and-half, but it’s not really necessary.
3. Stir in whatever fruit you like. Our version (highly recommended) used homemade raisins, dried plums, and white peaches, sliced up. You can choose how much or little to put in.
4. Stir in a melted stick of butter.
5. Beat together the eggs and sugar. Pour over the mixture.
6. Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 3-4 hours. Once a knife comes out clean, you’re good to go. Try to wait for the bread to be golden brown.
7. Top with Vanilla Rum Sauce and whipped cream right before serving.
FOR THE VANILLA RUM SAUCE:
8. Aggressive Version: Make your own vanilla rum by soaking split Malagasy vanilla beans in rum for several weeks.
9. Ambitious Version: Mix together 6 shots of store-bought vanilla rum with 3 tablespoons of sugar, and ¼ cup of cream (or half-and-half). Gently heat it over low-heat until the sugar dissolves and the ingredients combine.
10. Slacker Version: Melt some vanilla bean ice cream into a “sauce” and stir in some rum.