Bread Pudding with Prosecco Raisin Sauce

I love bread pudding. The first time I had it was with my Gram at Michael's, a restaurant in Rochester, MN. Gram was shocked that I never had bread pudding before, since it was her usual dish to use up old dry bread. A delicasy to me, and pretty much leftovers to her. I've ordered elseware since, but could never quite get the same thing. I've been fooling around with the recipes I've seen. Of course don't like Burbon, a common ingredient for the sauce, so why not try it with wine.

Recipe and more photos after the jump...

Bread Pudding Ingredients:
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup milk
1/4 cup butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ loaf Village Hearth Cottage Bread, cubed
¼ cup Sunmaid Golden Raisins Prosecco Raisin Sauce Ingredients:
1 cup heavy cream
3 Tbsp. butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 Tbsp. flour
dash of salt
¼ cup Prosecco (sparkling Italian white wine), Colli Trevigiani, Seccheatto.
¼ cup Sunmaid Golden Raisins

Bread Pudding Directions:
a. Soak the raisins for both the bread pudding and sauce, ½ cup total, in wine for 30 minutes.
b. Remove ¼ cup raisins with a slotted spoon and combine them with the bread cubes in a greased, with butter, 2-1/2 quart baking dish. Reserve the remaining raisins in the wine for the sauce preparation, see below.
c. Preheat oven to 350.
d. In medium saucepan, medium-low temperature, heat milk/cream until film forms. Add butter, stirring until melted. Cool to lukewarm.
e. Combine sugar, eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla. Wisk until well blended, then slowly add cream/milk/butter.
f. Pour batter on top of bread.
g. Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 to 50 minutes or until set. Serve warm.

Prosecco Raisin Sauce Directions:
a. Once the bread is in the oven, boil the raisins in the wine for 2 minutes, the let cool while the bread pudding is baking.
b. Combine remainder of ingredients with the wine/raisins and boil for 3 - 4 minutes, stirring constantly. Set aside for 5 minutes, then pour on warm bread pudding.

Tips and Garnish:
I keep the remainder of the heavy cream in a creamer, so it can be poured over the top of the sauce. Or you could make whip cream, just go easy on the sugar.
The remainder of the Prosecco makes a great wine pair, keeping in mind that a sparkling wine shouldn’t sit open too long until you drink it. Or, just keep your own wine glass full while you are baking.