Almond Bread Pudding

I just made the most delicious bread pudding. I used 3 different recipes and then modified them to make it my own so I thought that I have to hurry and record it so I don't forget it. I had half a loaf of home made white bread that was going stale that inspired me to make bread pudding but the recipes all call for a loaf of french bread. I'm sure you can use what ever you have laying around. I was a little cautious about the sauce but in turned out to be the perfect complement to the pudding so give it a try!

1 loaf stale french bread or 1/2 loaf stale white bread

1 cups heavy cream

4 eggs

2 cups sugar

1 Tbsp almond extract

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 cup finely chopped almonds

7 oz almond paste, crumbled

3 Tbsp butter

3 Tbsp sugar

Preheat oven to 350 F (160 C).

Cut bread into 1 inch square. Place in medium bowl and soak in cream for 1 hour. Push bread down and stir slightly to ensure it soaks in cream evenly. 

In large bowl beat eggs slightly. Whisk in sugar, almond extract, vanilla extract, cinnamon and nutmeg. Carefully add bread mixture, almonds and crumbled almond paste and mix carefully until the mixture is even incorporated.

Melt butter in warmed oven in a 9 x 13 inch backing pan. Poor mixture evenly into baking pan and sprinkle remaining 3 Tbsp of sugar over top. Bake approximately 40 minutes or until edges are brown and beginning to pull away from the side.

Sauce:

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup sugar

1 Tbsp almond extract

1/2 cup sour cream

Heat butter and sugar in small sauce pan stirring continuously until incorporated but not boiling. Remove from heat and add almond extract. Allow mixture to cool and then add sour cream. Beat by hand until sauce is creamy. Serve over warm pudding.