So here I was with a quart of eggnog in the fridge and no desire to make
any more loaves of eggnog bread. There was also an extra baguette on
the counter that the SO deemed too open-textured for the anchovy canapé
tapas he made for New Year's Eve. The only logical answer: Eggnog
bread pudding. The recipe below (adapted from the New Orleans School of
Cooking) is the net result:

10 ounces stale French bread, crumbled
2 tsp. vanilla
1 c. dried cranberries
4 c. eggnog (I used light eggnog)
1 c. coconut (I used dried unsweetened)
1 c. sugar
1 c. almonds (I used slivered and sliced)
4 tbsp. butter, melted
1 tsp. cinnamon
3 eggs
dash nutmeg (since there's already nutmeg in the eggnog)

Throw bread, cranberries, coconut, and almonds in a large bowl. In a
separate bowl, whisk together vanilla, eggnog, sugar, butter, cinnamon,
nutmeg, and eggs until well blended. Pour wet mixture over bread
mixture and stir well. The mixture should be very moist, but not soupy.
Pour into a buttered 9" x 13" pan; place in a cold oven. Bake at 350F
about 1 hour 15 minutes until top is golden brown. (You may need to
cover with foil to avoid burning.)

We didn't have any bourbon or dark rum in the house to make the
traditional accompanying sauce. I briefly thought about making a Grand
Marnier sauce (anything to use up that bottle--I swear we brought that
from Greensboro with us in '03), but decided against it. SO made some
whipped cream instead. Mighty fine. Very rich. Take an extra dose of
cholesterol-lowering drug before eating.

Cindy

--
C.J. Fuller

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