This wonderful Recipe can be made any time of the year. Feel free to omit the nuts and cranberries and add your favorite nuts or dried fruit or none at all.
Use pan spray (check that it is gluten free) to coat either a 10 inch pie pan or a 13x9 inch cake pan.
Mix the first 4 ingredients together and then add the bread cubes.
Let stand for 15 minutes and then with a wire whisk or potato masher, mash the bread cubes.
Mix well and make sure all of the bread is incorporated in.
Pour into a prepared pie plate (or cake pan). It should look really wet with liquid standing around the edges.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes until a tester comes out clean or the internal temperature is over 165 degrees F, not to exceed 185 degrees though.
Cool slightly and top with Hard Sauce.
Hard Sauce
with an electeric (hand held, stand up or emersion blender), mix the brandy and butter. Add in the powdered sugar until the desired thickness. It should be about the consistence of regualar sugar. Spread on the cake when it is slightly cooled but still warm. It will melt into the cake.
Notes
I love this recipe. I missed bread pudding and tried for years to make it and get it right. The white bread recipe on this site (that is made with honey, not the high-top bread) is perfect for this recipe. It is like a giant cinnamon roll. You can use your favorite white bread, there are several good ones out there, just not a whole wheat variety. Enjoy