Apple Cranberry Walnut Bread Pudding

This is a really wonderful moist bread pudding with a sweet nutty topping. The apples and cranberries with a touch of brandy make it very special.

Ingredients

1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup Brandy
6 slices bread, cut in ½ inch cubes (6 cups cubes)
1/4 cup butter or margarine
2 large peeled apples, chopped in 1 inch pieces
2-1/2 cups fat-free milk
3 eggs or 3/4 cup Egg Beaters
1/2 cup Splenda or sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla

Topping
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9 x 13 inch baking pan.

In a small bowl, combine cranberries and brandy. Set aside.

Remove top crust from bread and cut into cubes. Arrange in bottom of baking pan. (There should be enough bread cubes to cover entire bottom of pan.) Set aside.

In a medium skillet, melt butter. Add apples and cook over medium heat for 3 - 5 minutes or until beginning to be tender. Spoon evenly over bread. Spoon reserved cranberry brandy mixture evenly on top.

In a small bowl, combine milk, Splenda, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and vanilla. Beat well. Pour over bread mixture. Press bread down with a spatula to make sure all bread is soaking in the liquid.

Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven. Sprinkle with brown sugar and nuts. Return to oven and bake another 30 - 35 minutes or until center is set.

Serves 10

Nutritional Information Per Serving

Calories 200

Fat, gm. 8 

Protein, gm. 5 

Carbs, gm. 27 

Cholesterol, mg. 70

Fiber, gm. 1.5