LEMON BREAD PUDDING

Ingredients for 8 to 10 servings:

1 pound Golden Curry Bread or French bread

 Lemon curd

2 large eggs

2 large egg yolks

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup lemon juice

grated zest of 2 lemons

1 stick unsalted butter, cut into small piece

Custard:

2 cups milk

3 large eggs

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Garnish: sour cream or whipped cream

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter a 2 quart baking dish or casserole. Trim crust from the bread (if desired) and cut into 1" slices.  

Lemon Curd: Beat the eggs and sugar in a heavy saucepan heat to 100 degrees. Add the lemon juice, zest and butter and cook over medium low heat until the curd thickens (160-170 degrees). Strain the curd into a bowl, and set aside. 

Custard: mWhisk together all the custard ingredients until well blended.

Assembly and Baking:  Make a layer with 1/3 of the dry bread slices. Pour on 1/3 of the custard. Spread on 1/2 of the lemon curd. Repeat with a second layer. Add the third layer of bread and spoon the custard over the pudding. Let the pudding rest for 10 so the bread can absorb the custard.  Cover the pudding with buttered foil and bake for 45 minutes.

Serve warm or at room temperature with lightly whipped cream or sour cream.