Apple Bread Pudding With Calvados Sauce

DIRECTIONS

• Butter a 6 to 8 cup souffle dish or other baking dish.
• Preheat oven to 325°F.
• Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
• Add the apples and sauté about 5 minutes, until the apples start to brown.
• Add 3 tablespoons sugar and sauté a minute or two until the sugar caramelizes.
• Remove from heat, transfer to a bowl and add one half of the Calvados.
• Melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter in the pan over low heat and add the bread, tossing for a few minutes until the bread is coated with the butter.
• Spoon half the apples into the souffle dish and top with half the bread.
• Repeat with the other half of the apples and the other half of the bread.
• Put some water on to heat while you fix the cream.
• Place the half-and-half in a saucepan with the vanilla bean and scald and stir in 1/2 cup of sugar, stirring until sugar is dissolved.
• Remove from heat and whisk a little of the cream mixture into the beaten eggs then slowly whisk the eggs into the cream mixture.
• Strain the liquid into the souffle dish and then dust the top of the pudding with the grated nutmeg.
• Place the souffle dish on top of a kitchen towel in a roasting pan in the oven.
• Pour the simmering water into the roasting pan to come halfway up the sides of the souffle dish.
• Bake 40 minutes, until just set.
• Meanwhile, boil the cider until it is reduced by half.
• Sift the remaining sugar with the cornstarch and whisk this mixture into the cider.
• Simmer until thickened, then remove from heat and add remaining Calvados.
• Serve the sauce warm on the pudding.