Alberta's Bread Pudding

Alberta's Bread Pudding.

This is going to be the most complicated recipe you have ever tried from Cabinet Chef. The difficulty lies not in technique, but in patience. DIETERS BEWARE!!

When my mom first taught me this recipe she said "you must mix each ingredient in this recipe one at a time". I said "sure OK".
The first time I made it I just tossed all of the ingredients in and mixed it all up, baked it, tasted it, and threw it away. It was mushy and off flavored and it just looked ugly... Lesson Learned!

What I am giving you now, is the right way to make this Bread Pudding. Believe me when I say this, It will be well worth the effort to follow these instructions.
Set your oven to 350F.
Some of these items you probably have in your cabinet and fridge already:
1  Loaf Nature's Own Butter Bread or your own bakery's butter bread.
4  Cups Whole Milk.
4  Large eggs.
1  Can Carnation Condensed Milk.
2  Cups Sugar.
2  Tbsp McCormick Ground Cinnamon.
1  Tsp McCormick Imitation Vanilla Butter Nut Flavor (OK to use Pure Vanilla Extract).
1/4Tsp McCormick Pure Lemon Extract.
1  Stick Butter or Margarine (softened).
5  Ounces of Sun-maid Raisins (little more than half of 9 oz box).
1/2 Cup Bakers or Peter Paul Mounds Coconut flakes.
(Raisins and coconut are optional in this recipe)

These quantities make a large sheet cake sized bread pudding. For smaller size cut all ingredient in half except Vanilla Butter Nut and Lemon Extract.

In a large mixing bowl pour in your condensed milk. Mix in your ground cinnamon, followed by your eggs then your sugar (you can substitute most of your sugar with Stevia In The Raw). Mix well by hand or a mixer set on slow. Stir in your vanilla and lemon flavoring.

In a separate bowl pour in your milk. Quickly wet your bread in the milk (don't let the bread get so wet it falls apart) and put into your prepared mixture. After the whole loaf is wet and added to mixture, pour in excess milk and by hand mix the bread in until well mixed.

Coat your pan with Bakers Joy or similar baking spray with flour (Mom just greases and flours hers). Mix in the butter or margarine and your coconut and raisins and pour into pan (if too much for the pan just refrigerate the rest for later). Bake for 60 to 90 minutes or until dark golden brown (cooking times may vary in different ovens). Let cool for 1 hour before serving. Top with whipped cream.

I have never offered before, but if you want to try it before you bake it yourself, I am willing to make a batch and let you taste it as long as I get enough requests to make one pan to ship. That means that 12 people can try the original. I can make half with coconut and raisins and half without.

Contact me at cabinetchef@gmail.com.