Recipe: Breakfast Bread Pudding adapted from Mark Bittman's "Food Matters"

This breakfast bread pudding appeals because it's not pretending to be a dessert. While I would normally have balked at making a bread pudding with whole grain bread, once you reduce the amount of custard and add fruit and nuts, it suddenly makes a whole lot of sense as a breakfast treat. What I like about this dish is that it tastes moderately sweet, nutty and rich without being heavy.

Ingredients

• Butter or other oil for greasing the pan
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• a pinch of salt
• 4 medium to large apples, cored, peeled and cut into chunks or slices
• 1/2 cup dried cherries (or raisins)
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans or other nut (optional)
• 8 slices whole or multigrain bread, preferably stale, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 3 cups)

Directions
1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 1 1/2-quart or 8-inch-square baking dish. Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Whisk in the milk, honey, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in the apples, raisins, and nuts. Then fold in the bread cubes, making sure everything is evenly coated. Let the mixture set for about 15 minutes, or until all of the liquid has been absorbed. You can prepare the pudding ahead to this point; cover and refrigerate for up to 12 hours.

2. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish and smooth out the top. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until golden and only a little wobbly in the center. Let it sit for a few minutes before cutting. Serve warm or cold. This keeps well for 2 days, covered and refrigerated.

Serves 4-6.

This recipe was adapted by Jessica Webster and originally posted on AnnArbor.com on April 6, 2011.