From: Chef Todd Downs. Yield: One 2" hotel pan.
6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
2 lb. potato bread or rolls, cut into 1" cubes
2 cups dried cherries
1 lb. white chocolate, cut into ½" chunks
2½ lb. mascarpone cheese, very soft
6 eggs
6 cups half-and-half
3 cups sugar
3 Tbsp. pure vanilla extract
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. ground nutmeg
Praline Creme Anglaise:
8 egg yolks
1½ cups dark brown sugar
1 Tbsp. arrowroot powder
4 cups half-and-half
1 Tbsp. pure vanilla extract
2 oz. bourbon
Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter the 2" hotel pan well. Combine bread cubes, dried cherries and white chocolate chunks; mix well. Place into pan. Place mascarpone into a mixing bowl; add eggs and mix well. Add the half-and-half, sugar, vanilla and spices. Beat well until combined. Pour liquid over bread mixture. Press bread into liquid to immerse it well. Bake the pudding until top is puffed and lightly browned, about 1 hour. Serve with praline creme Anglaise on the side.
For Praline Creme Anglaise: Combine egg yolks, brown sugar and arrowroot in an electric mixer bowl. Mix until light and fluffy. Scald half-and-half; add a little at a time to the egg mixture, folding together by hand until well-mixed. Return to the heat, and cook over low heat stirring constantly.
Prepare an ice bath (a 2-qt. mixing bowl set over a larger bowl filled with ice and water). When mixture coats the back of a spoon, remove from heat immediately and strain through a sieve into top bowl of the ice bath. Stir as mixture cools. Serve at the side of the bread pudding in goose-necks or sauce boats; serve bread pudding warm, dusted with powdered sugar, in chafing dishes.
