Bread Pudding With Vanilla Sauce

Dolce di Pane con Salsa alla Vaniglia- by Enzo Depra from Menus by Celebrated Chefs in 'The Silver Spoon Cookbook' The total time includes preparation and cooking time for both the bread pudding and the vanilla sauce and is a rough estimate.

• Ready In: 1 hr 25 mins
• Serves: 8-10

Ingredients

• 3 1⁄2 ounces  day-old  bread, crusts removed
• 1 1⁄2 cups skim milk
• 1 1⁄2 cups  superfine sugar, plus extra for dusting
• 1⁄2 cup golden raisin
•  all-purpose flour, for dusting
• 1  tablespoon sweet butter, plus extra for greasing
• 1⁄4 cup  citrus liqueur
• 1  egg
• 1  egg yolk

• Vanilla Sauce

• 2 1⁄4 cups milk
• 5  egg yolks
• 1⁄2 cup  superfine sugar
• 1  vanilla bean, halved lengthwise

Directions

1. Tear the bread into pieces and place it in a bowl. Bring the milk to a boil, remove from the heat and stir in the sugar until it has dissolved. Pour the mixture over the bread and leave until the liquid has been absorbed and the mixture has cooled.
2. Place the golden raisins in another bowl, add warm water to cover and let soak for about 15 minutes, then drain and squeeze out. Dust for flour, gently shaking off any excess.
3. Preheat the oven to 325°F Grease individual molds with butter and dust them with sugar. Pass the soaked bread through a strained into a bowl and add raisins, liqueur, egg and egg yolk, mixing wel. Spoon the mixture into the molds until they are three-fourths full.
4. Dot the surface with the butter and bake for 20 minutes, then increase the oven temperature to 350 F and bake for a further 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, cool, then serve with the vanilla sauce.
5. To make the vanilla sauce, bring the milk just to a boil, then remove from the heat. Meanwhile, put the egg yolks and sugar into a heatproof bowl and scrape in the contents of the vanilla bean. Beat vigorously until lighty and fluffy. Gradually beat in the hot milk. Set the bowl over a pan of barely simmering water and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until thickened, taking care that the eggs do not curdle. Strain and let the vanilla sauce cool before serving.