A Sweet Treat for Cold Weather

Here is the last recipe I promised for this week. The original recipe came from Better Homes & Gardens, but I of course made a couple of changes.

What you'll need:
4 c. dried sourdough bread, cut into 1/2-in to 1-in. pieces
1/3 c. golden raisins
2 eggs, slightly beaten
2 c. milk
1/4 c. butter or margarine, melted
1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. vanilla
whipped cream

What you'll need to do:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 1 1/2-quart casserole dish or a small deep Pyrex baking dish with a similar capacity.
2. In a medium bowl, add the eggs, milk, butter, sugar, cinnamon,, nutmeg, and vanilla. Mix together with a whisk or an electric mixer until well-blended.
3. In a large bowl, combine the bread and egg mixture, stirring together until bread is completely coated.
4. Pour bread mixture into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the raisins over the top, then use a spoon to gently push them into the mix.
5. Bake uncovered for 45 to 55 minutes until bread is crunchy and golden on top and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
6. Cool slightly, then serve with whipped cream.

I found that sourdough bread works better than the white or cinnamon swirl bread the original recipe suggests. The bread and the sugar complement each other perfectly, creating a flavor that is not too sweet. Also, sprinkling the raisins over the bread mixture at the end (instead of mixing it with the dry bread earlier in the process as originally suggested) helps prevent the raisins from all sinking to the bottom as you mix everything together, and from collecting on only one side of the baking dish when you pour everything in.

This is a good dessert for a cold night. If the winter weather in your area is hanging on tooth and nail, help chase it away with this sweet comforting treat.

Enjoy!