Louisiana Bread Pudding With Lemon Sauce - cooking recipe

Ingredients

4 cups dried bread, diced
2 cups milk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon apple pie spice (or use 1/2 tsp. cinnamon and 1/2 tsp. nutmeg)
1/2 cup pitted dates, chopped (optional)
6 tablespoons butter
LEMON SAUCE
1 cup sugar (or use Splenda Blend)
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/2 cups water
1 lemon, zest
1 lemon, the juice (about 2-1/2 tbsps.)
2 tablespoons butter

Preparation

BREAD PUDDING: preheat oven to 350\u00b0F. In a bowl large enough to hold bread and liquid, beat eggs with a fork until lemon yellow in color. Whisk in milk, vanilla and almond extract.
Soak bread in egg and milk mixture until the bread has absorbed most of the liquid, about 5 to 10 minutes.
Mix sugar, salt, spices (and chopped dates) in a separate bowl. When bread has soaked up the liquid, add dry ingredients and mix well.
Butter a baking dish large enough to hold the bread mixture 2 -1/2 qt pan or 8x8\" will work. Pour bread mixture into pan and dot top with pieces of butter.
Bake for 30 minutes or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool or serve immediately.
LEMON SAUCE: blend sugar, cornstarch and water in a sauce pan.
Bring to a boil over med-high heat. Cook 2 - 3 min until mixture is thickened.
Remove from heat and add lemon zest, lemon juice and butter.
Cut in squares and serve warm lemon sauce over bread pudding.