Recipes

Make the sauce:

Bring the cream, half and half, sugar, and butter to a boil in a small, heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring frequently. In a small bowl, mix the rum and cornstarch to blend, then whisk it into the cream mixture. Simmer over moderately low heat, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens, about 2 minutes. Add vanilla. Keep warm. The sauce can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and reheated.

Make the bread pudding:

Lightly butter a 13-x 9-x 2-inch baking dish. Spread the panettone cubes in the prepared dish. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, cream, half and half, sugar, nutmeg, and rum to blend. Stir in raisins and vanilla. Pour the custard over the panettone, and press the cubes gently to submerge them. Let stand for 30 minutes, occasionally pressing the panettone into the custard.

Preheat the oven to 350°. Bake the pudding until it is puffed and set in the center, about 45 minutes. Cool slightly. Spoon the bread pudding into bowls and drizzle with the warm sauce.

Note: I used a glass baking dish and placed it inside of a larger pan. I poured hot water into the pan until it was about halfway up the baking dish. The bread pudding comes out a beautiful golden brown, and the custard is nice and creamy.