Karen's Bread Pudding

I think that Bread Pudding is one of my favorite desserts. I always liked it as a child when my momma would make it for us during the winter time. Momma was not what you would call a good cook. She really enjoy sweets   like cake and cookies. She would make us ginger bread with whipped cream or lemon sauce. Whenever I eat these foods I think of my momma.

It was about 7 years ago I went to a Convention in King of Prussia PA. in the Raddisson Hotel and I ate the best Bread Pudding I ever had.  It was perfect it was soft and sweet and it had just enough raisins.  I should have went in the Kitchen and asked the chef how did he come up with the recipe but I didn't.  So since then I have been trying to get that same texture and taste but so far to no avail.

The formula I did come up with that had the taste but not quite the texture but close was this:

I had day old french bread.I didn't cut it in squares but I put it in a blender and pulsed it a few times, then on the stove I made the same custard I would make for banana pudding which is 1 cup of sugar, 4 egg yokes and vanilla, pinch of salt, 1 1/2 cup of heavy cream with a little flour about 1.3 cup then I in a double boiler stirred until thickened and poured it into the backing dish I let it all sink in and then I also added dried cranberries and chopped pecans, then I baked it in a 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes until it was brown on top and knife inserted came out clean, This dessert is best eaten warm with light cream, whipped cream or rum sauce.