Food Bank Bread Pudding

If the pantry in your home is a place that you keep well stocked, this bread pudding will be a snap for you. There are plenty of options here and the product is a winner.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups cubed French bread, croissants or plain cake donuts
• 2 cups sliced fresh or frozen peaches, drained
• 1 cup egg product, or 4 large beaten eggs
• 2 12 ounce cans evaporated milk, or 1 can milk and 1 can coconut milk
• 1 1/3 cups mashed ripe bananas, or one 15 ounce can pumpkin
• 3/8 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice, or 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup peach or apricot sugarless spreadable fruit, melted
• 4 teaspoons lemon or orange zest, reserve peelings
• 1 teaspoon rum extract, or orange extract
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans, or walnuts

Directions:

Toss bread cubes with sliced peaches in a buttered 9 by 13 inch pan. If you don't have peaches, just put bread cubes in pan. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, bananas or pumpkin, sugar, spices, vanilla and other extracts, melted spreadable fruit, and lemon zest. Mix in all other fruit and nuts. Add to bread cube mixture in pan and toss to coat. Bake at 350 degrees on middle oven rack, until pudding is set, about 30 minutes, or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand for 30 minutes.

Number of Servings: 10 to 12