New Orleans Style Bread Pudding

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9×13″ baking dish.

Cube stale bread (any kind, but sourdough and challah are delicious). Combine milk and egg yolks with granulated sugar, salt, and nutmeg. Add vanilla, melted butter (anywhere from 2-4 tablespoons, depending on how rich you want it), and raisins.

Beat the whites of the eggs until stiff. Gently fold into the pudding mixture. Pour into the greased pan.

Bake until set and lightly browned.

I spoon this into ramekins, top with a bit of hard sauce and zap it in the microwave to warm and melt the sauce.

To make the hard sauce, simply mix the butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla (or rum or brandy) together.