Spirited Bread Pudding

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons brown sugar 
• 1 tablespoon butter softened
• 1.5 tablespoons butter melted
• 1.5 tablespoons cognac 
• 2 large eggs lightly beaten
• 2 cups milk fat-free
• 8 ounce bread french cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 0.3 cup golden raisins 
• 0.5 cup granulated sugar 
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar 
• 0.5 teaspoon orange rind grated
• 0.1 teaspoon salt 
• 0.5 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• 2 tablespoons walnuts coarsely chopped

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• oven
• knife
• baking pan
• cake form
• blow torch
• wooden spoon

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 35
2. Spread softened butter evenly into the bottom of an 8-inch round cake pan, and sprinkle with brown sugar and walnuts. Set prepared pan aside.
3. Combine milk and bread in a large bowl.
4. Let stand 15 minutes, occasionally pressing on bread to soak up milk.
5. Add 1/2 cup granulated sugar, melted butter, vanilla, salt, and eggs; stir with a wooden spoon 1 minute or until bread cubes break apart. Stir in raisins, cognac, and 1/2 teaspoon grated rind.
6. Pour bread mixture into prepared pan.
7. Place pan in a 13 x 9-inch baking pan; add hot water to larger pan to a depth of 1 inch.
8. Bake at 350 for 50 minutes or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean.
9. Remove cake pan from water.
10. Let stand 5 minutes. Invert onto a serving platter.
11. Sift 2 tablespoons granulated sugar evenly over pudding. Holding a kitchen blowtorch about 3 inches from surface of pudding, heat sugar, moving torch back and forth, until sugar is completely melted and caramelized (about 1 minute).
12. Serve warm.
13. Garnish with orange rind strips, if desired.