- Preheat oven to 350°F
- Apply a thin coat of cooking spray to a 2-quart 11x7 oblong glass baking dish
- Arrange bread in dish
- In a large bowl, beat eggs until frothy
- Combine milk, half-and-half, sugar, Fiori di Sicilia, cinnamon, & salt then add to eggs and mix well
- Add fruit and coconut to liquid mixture, blend thoroughly
- Pour over bread, pressing gently to submerge slices, let rest 15 minutes
- Combine topping ingredients and sprinkle over pudding
- Set dish on a baking pan with a 2-inch rim
- Add water to a depth of 1 inch
- Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean
- Cool and serve with homemade whipped cream
I consider myself a proud locavore. Food is VERY important to me. I strive to consume food that is organic, GMO-Free, and locally grown. I am more than willing to pay extra for food from farmers that I support and trust because it is well worth it. After all, you are what you eat!
I recently entered the Strolling of the Heifers Bread Pudding Contest, and I am happy to report that I won First Place, and also the People’s Choice award for my “Hot Summer Night Bread Pudding”.
My inspiration: Bread pudding is my favorite dessert, but everyone I know associates bread pudding with Autumn or Winter months. I wanted to create a bread pudding that I thought people would enjoy in the Summer after an outdoor BBQ. The King Arthur Fruit Blend of diced apricots, raisins, pineapple cubes, chopped dates and sweetened dried cranberries make this recipe shine. The Hot Summer Night Bread Pudding has a light and refreshing flavor and pairs well with a glass of chilled Moscato.
The Mission Statement of the Strolling of the Heifers: We help support and sustain family farms by connecting people with healthy local food, and with the farmers and food producers who bring it to them. The first weekend of June there is a three day festival featuring a cooking contest, parade, street vendors, entertainment and more.