APPLE BREAD PUDDING WITH BEST BOY BOURBON CARAMEL SAUCE

APPLE BREAD PUDDING WITH BEST BOY BOURBON CARAMEL SAUCE

Ingredients
1 pound raisin bread, cut into 1” pieces.
5 Tablespoon unsalted butter
2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into ½” pieces
1 cup sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ cup Calvados (Brandy)
4 large eggs, beaten
3 cups milk
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread the bread on a large rimmed baking sheet and toast until lightly golden and dry.
Melt butter in a sauce pan, reserve 3 tablespoons in a bowl.  Add the apples and ¼ cup of sugar to the pan and stir occasionally until the apples are golden and softened, about 15 minutes.  Stir in the cinnamon.  Remove from the heat and add the Calvados.  Return to the heat and cook for about 1 minute until sauce is syrupy.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the milk and the rest of the sugar.  Scrape the vanilla seeds into the custard.  Add the bread and apples, toss to coat.  Let it stand for 5 minutes to allow the bread to soak up the custard.
Brush an 8 x 11-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon of the reserved butter.  Add the bread pudding and drizzle with the remaining butter.  Bake for about 50 minutes until the custard is set and golden.  Let it set for a few minutes to cool slightly.
Serve warm with Best Boy’s Bourbon Barrel Caramel sauce (the worlds’ finest caramel sauce) poured over the top.