Banana Bread Pudding

6 cups soft bread cubes, from French bread or white sandwich bread, loosely packed

4 tablespoons butter

2 cups heavy or whipping cream

1 cup milk (see note)

5 egg yolks (see note)

⅔

cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups mashed ripe banana

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Amazing Fudge Sauce, optional, for serving (see note)

Vanilla ice cream, optional, for serving

Lightly grease a 13-by-9-inch glass baking dish with butter. Set aside.

Cut bread into bite-size cubes (do not use the crust if it is tough), and place in a prepared dish. Set aside.

Place butter in a microwave-safe measuring cup or bowl, and microwave, covered with a paper towel, on high, until melted, about 45 seconds. Drizzle butter over bread cubes, tossing cubes while drizzling butter. Stir and toss cubes to distribute butter as evenly as possible. Set aside.

Pour cream and milk into a small saucepan, and bring it just to a boil over medium heat. Meanwhile, place the egg yolks in a small mixing bowl, and beat lightly with whisk. When the cream mixture boils, remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Whisk in the egg yolks, sugar and vanilla. Whisk well. Pour mixture over bread cubes. Cover dish with foil, and refrigerate at least one hour (and up to four hours) so the bread can begin to absorb the milk mixture.

Heat oven to 325 degrees.

Remove bread pudding from the refrigerator, and uncover. Combine bananas and lemon juice in a small bowl. Stir banana mixture into bread pudding, and then smooth top with the back of a spoon. Re-cover dish, and cut six small holes in the foil so steam can escape. Bake, covered with foil, until set, about 50 minutes to one hour.

Remove bread pudding from the oven, and cool 15-20 minutes. Serve warm in dessert bowls, with sauce of choice and ice cream, if desired.

Serves 12.

Cook's notes: Whole or 2 percent milk should be used. Refrigerate the leftover egg whites in an airtight container for up to four days and use to make whites-only omelets.

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@Recipe nutrition:Nutrition values per serving (bread pudding only): 325 calories (59 percent from fat), 22 g fat (13 g saturated), 30 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber, 4 g protein, 155 mg cholesterol, 130 mg sodium.