Indian Bread Pudding with Cardamom Sauce

The exotic flavors of rose-flower water and cardamon are typical in Indian and Middle Eastern desserts. The bread cooks in a mixture of milk and sugar, but without eggs--so it's not as creamy as a typical bread pudding. Instead, it's topped with a rich custard sauce.

Yield
6 servings
Ingredients

Pudding:
* 9 (1-ounce) slices white bread
* 2 tablespoons butter, melted
* Cooking spray
* 1 cup evaporated fat-free milk
* 3 tablespoons sugar
* 1/4 teaspoon rose-flower water (optional)

Sauce:
* 2 tablespoons sugar
* 2 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
* 1 cup whole milk
* 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
* 1 tablespoon finely chopped pistachios


Preparation
Preheat oven to 400°.

To prepare pudding, trim crusts from bread. Arrange bread slices in a single layer on a baking sheet; brush with melted butter. Bake at 400° for 8 minutes or until toasted.

Remove bread from oven; cool 5 minutes on a wire rack. Cut each slice into 4 squares. Arrange squares in overlapping rows in an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.

Combine evaporated milk, 3 tablespoons sugar, and rose-flower water, if desired, stirring well with a whisk. Pour mixture evenly over bread. Cover with foil; chill 30 minutes or up to 4 hours.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Bake pudding, covered, at 350° for 15 minutes.

To prepare sauce, combine 2 tablespoons sugar and egg yolks in a medium bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Heat whole milk in a small, heavy saucepan over medium heat to 180° or until tiny bubbles form around the edge (do not boil). Gradually add hot whole milk to egg yolk mixture, stirring constantly with a whisk.

Place milk mixture in pan; cook over low heat 6 minutes or until mixture coats the back of a spoon, stirring constantly with a whisk. Remove from heat; stir in cardamom.

Place pan in a large ice-filled bowl for 5 minutes or until sauce cools to room temperature, stirring occasionally.

Arrange 6 warm bread pudding squares on each of 6 dessert plates. Top each serving with about 2 1/2 tablespoons sauce and 1/2 teaspoon pistachios.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 272 (29% from fat)
Fat: 8.7g (sat 3.8g,mono 2.5g,poly 0.6g)
Protein: 9g
Carbohydrate: 41.9g
Fiber: 2.6g
Cholesterol: 90mg
Iron: 1.2mg
Sodium: 352mg
Calcium: 191mg

source by: myrecipes.com
recipes by: Cooking Light
Randy Mayor; Katie Stoddard