White Chocolate Cherry Bread Pudding - cooking recipe

Ingredients

4 eggs
2 cups half-and-half
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
21 ounces canned cherry pie filling, drained
10 ounces challah or 10 ounces other firm bread, cut into 1-inch cubes, 6 cups
5 ounces dried cherries or 5 ounces dried sweetened cranberries, 1 cup
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon sliced almonds
confectioners' sugar (optional)

Preparation

Coat 6-cup baking dish with cooking spray.
In large bowl, whisk eggs with half and half, 1/2 cup sugar and almond extract until blended.
Stir in pie filling, bread, dried cherries (or cranberries) and chocolate chips.
Transfer to prepared 6-cup baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar. Cover; refrigerate 30 minutes to 12 hours. If refrigerated more than 30 minutes, let stand at room temperature 20 minutes before baking.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Cover baking dish; bake 30 minutes.
Uncover; sprinkle with sliced almonds. Bake uncovered, 35-40 minutes or until set and golden.
Let stand 20 minutes before serving. If desired, sprinkle with confectioners' sugar.