Bread Pudding with Amaretto Sauce

1 pound loaf Italian (or French) bread

1 quart half and half

3 eggs

1½ cups sugar

1 tablespoon almond extract

¾ cup slivered almonds

Sauce

½ cup butter

1 cup confectioners' sugar

1 egg

¼ cup Amaretto

The night before: Break bread in small pieces into a large bowl. Pour half and half over bread, cover and let soak over night.

When ready to bake, heat oven to 350 degrees; grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.

In a small bowl, beat eggs; add sugar and almond extract and mix well. Stir into bread, mixing well. Stir in almonds to evenly distribute. Pour into prepared pan and bake 45-50 minutes. Do not overbake; the top should be crunchy but the bread still soft.

For the sauce: Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat. Add confectioners' sugar; whisk until blended. Remove from heat and whisk in egg. Continue whisking until sauce comes to room temperature. Whisk in Amaretto. Pour into serving dish to pass.

Serves 12.

Nutrition values per serving: 460 calories, 23 g fat (12 g saturated), 54 g carbohydrates, 2 g fiber, 9 g protein, 120 mg cholesterol, 280 mg sodium.