Bread Pudding

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Pour bread cubes into a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake until dry and crispy about 12 minutes, turning over half way through. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees.
2. In a small sauce pan over medium high heat, combine dried cranberries and rum and bring to a boil. Stir and let the cranberries stew for about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. In a large bowl whisk together half and half, milk, brown sugar, egg yolks, vanilla and spices. Drain the rum from the stewed cranberries into the mixture and stir to combine. Reserve the cranberries.
4. Pour the dried bread into the milk mixture and toss to coat the bread evenly. Let the bread and milk/egg mix rest for about 10 minutes.
5. Pour half of the mixture into the bottom of a sprayed 2-quart or 13×9″ baking dish or casserole dish. Sprinkle on half of the cranberries and pecans. Pour the remaining half of the bread mixture over the top.
6. In a small dish, mix the remaining pecans and sugar, and butter together to form a crumble. Finish topping with stewed cranberries and pecans.
7. Cover and bake for 45 minutes. Uncover and allow to cool on a wire rack. Serve warm and topped with rum sauce.

Rum Sauce

1. In a small sauce pan whisk together cornstarch and rum until smooth.
2. Whisk in cream, sugar and pinch of salt. Bring to a simmer and whisk until thickened – about 3-4 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and stir in cubed butter. Drizzle over the warm bread pudding.