APPLE PIE BREAD PUDDING

INGREDIENTS

• 14 oz French bread (day old)
• 1¾ lb gala apples
• 4 Tbsp butter
• 2½ Tbsp flour
• 2 tsp apple pie spice
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• 1 cup water
• 5 eggs
• 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
• 2¼ cups  milk- any kind
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
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INSTRUCTIONS

1.  cut bread into ½ inch cubes and spread it out on a large baking sheet. Leave it out to get stale for about a day.
2. Apple Pie Filling:
3. Peel, core and dice apples.
4. In a medium sauce pan, over medium heat, melt butter. Add flour and stir well with a whisk. Add ¾ cup of brown sugar and stir well.
5. Add diced apples, apple pie spice and water, stir and cover. Cook over medium heat until the apples are soft, stirring occasionally. (10-15 minutes.)
6. Take off heat and strain through a strainer, don't throw away the juices. You will be using the juice to top off cooked bread pudding.
7. Let the cooked apples cool a bit.
8. Bread Pudding:
9. Preheat the oven to 375 and lightly grease a 9x13 casserole dish.
10. Spread stale bread in the baking dish evenly. Spread apples all over the bread evenly. Move it around a little to let some apples get between the bread.
11. In a large mixing bowl, whisk eggs, milk, melted butter, vanilla extract, ½ cup of brown sugar, apple pie spice, and cinnamon.
12. Pour egg mixture all over the bread and apples. Press down on bread lightly and put in the oven.
13. Bake for 35-40 minutes. You can check for doneness by touching in the center, if it feels dense and firm, the eggs are cooked.
14. Pull bread pudding out of the oven and pour saved juices from cooking apples all over the bread pudding.
15. Serve bread pudding warm and with a school of vanilla ice cream on top.