Spiced Banana Bread Pudding

"If you're afraid of butter, use cream." -Julia Childs

Speaking strictly on taste Julia Childs was probably right, but clearly she wasn't considering health or calories! This Spiced Banana Bread Pudding with Raisins recipe is a satisfying, delightfully spiced desert that skips the saturated fat and cholesterol and uses skim milk instead.  The best part is, you don't even notice its absence!

I decided to try this recipe to use up half the loaf of sourdough bread I had leftover from the farmers market earlier that week.  Although I'm always an advocate of whole grains, Molly Katzen advises to use a white bread in this recipe for optimum taste.  The sourdough loaf was a perfect choice, and you can't miss with the combination of banana, cinnamon and nutmeg.

Feeling adventurous? Try topping your bread pudding with a rum sauce. You can find a bunch of different recipes for them on Epicurious.

Spiced Banana Bread Pudding with Raisins (from The New Moosewood Cookbook)
10 minutes to prepare, 35 minutes to bake
Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Substitutions: I used 2 full eggs and one egg white, and split the 1/3 cup sugar half brown sugar half white.

Interesting Facts: Did you know that you can test an egg's freshness through its position in a cup of water? Fresh eggs sink, while bad eggs float.  Also, don't despair if your brown sugar is rock hard! It can be softened by sealing in a big with a slice of bread, or microwaving on high for 30 seconds.

Ingredients:
3 to 4 packed cups cubed bread (ok if stale or frozen)
3 eggs
3 cups milk (lowfat ok)
1/3 cup sugar (more or less, to taste)
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 banana ripe banana, sliced
1/4 cup raisins
a few dashes of cinnamon and nutmeg

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Have ready a 9 x 13-inch baking pan.
2) Spread the bread in the pan.
3) Beat together remaining ingredients. Pour this custard over the bread.
4) Bake around 35 minutes, or until firm but not dry. Serve warm or at room temperature.

                     

Sources:
"14 Ways to Save Money on Groceries." Finacially Fit: Saving Money & Living Well. Yahoo Shine. Web. 24 Feb. 2011. <http://shine.yahoo.com/event/financiallyfit/14-ways-to-save-money-on-groceries-2447559/>.