Luca Manfe's Apple Pandoro Bread Pudding

For the Bread Pudding:

• 2 cup (500g) Pandoro - diced in 1/2 in cubes
• 4 cups (950g) gala or pink lady apples - peeled and diced in 1/2 cubes
• 4 tbsp butter
• 1 vanilla bean, scraped
• 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp cinnamon powder
• 1 cup cream
• 1 cup whole milk
• 2 eggs
• 1 tbsp dark rum
• IL PANDORO DI VERONA All Natural (can be purchased at HEB)

For the Mulled wine sauce:

• 2 1/2 cups red wine
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 4 cloves
• 1/2 vanilla bean, scraped but save the pod
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 apple, with no core

For the Apple chips:

• 1 apple, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• 1 tbsp sugar

Bread Pudding Directions:

1. Place the diced Pandoro in a baking tray and bake for 10 minutes at 350 F, until nice and crispy.
2. Peel and dice the apples.
3. Add to a pan with butter, 1 scraped vanilla bean, 2 tbsp of sugar, and 1 tbsp cinnamon powder.
4. Cook for 5 minutes on high heat, until butter and sugar melts.
5. Pre heat the oven at 350 F.
6. Put the diced Pandoro into a baking dish (9x9") together with the apple mixture.
7. In a saucepan bring 1 cup of milk and 1 cup of cream to simmer.
8. In a bowl whisk the eggs with cup of sugar and 1 tbsp of dark rum.
9. Whisk the hot milk-cream-mixture into the eggs, until the bowl gets warm (constantly whisking).
10. Pour the just prepared mixture on top of the apples and the Pandoro cubes. Let the liquid soak for at least 30 minutes, stirring a couple of times.
11. Bake for 40 minutes, until custard is set.

Mulled Wine Sauce Directions:

1. Pour all ingredients according to the above into a sauce pan.
2. Bring everything to boil and reduce mixture in half.
3. For large serving, simply add some water and cornstarch - otherwise you would need too much wine and time to reach the right consistency.

Apple Chips Directions:

1. Slice apples with a mandolin and lay them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
2. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar and bake at 275 F for 60 minutes or until crispy.

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