Ingredients

• 5 Empire apples, peeled, cored, 12” slices
• 4 tablespoons butter, unsalted
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• pinch of salt
• 1/3 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
• 8 cups bread, cubed, 1” in size
• 10 eggs
• 6 cups heavy cream
• 1 ½ cups brown sugar, packed
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 vanilla beans, scraped inside (or 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract)
• ¼ cup flour

French Dip

• 4 eggs 1 cup half & half
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• pinch of nutmeg

Whisk all ingredients in separate bowl and butter for final searing.

Method

Sauté’ apples on medium-high heat in the butter, ½ teaspoon vanilla, brown sugar and pinch of salt until caramelized (butter has begun to brown and the sugar becomes thick like caramel). Set aside to cool. In large bowl, whisk eggs, heavy cream, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla beans contents, and flour until well mixed.

• Coarsely chop caramelized apples and add to whisked mixture, add cubed bread and mix well.
• Pour entire contents into a 13” x 9” glass pan. Place in refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
• Loosely cover pan with foil and bake in water bat at 300 degrees F for about 1 hour (liquid should be set). Cool to room temperature.
• Refrigerate pan overnight. Portion into 8 to 10 servings.
• Dip each portion into the French Dip and sear in pan with 1 tablespoon butter.
• Serve immediately with the Riesling Apple Cider Syrup drizzled on top or refrigerate the seared bread pudding to serve later.
• Microwave refrigerated portions for 1 ½ minutes on high and serve with syrup.

Seared bread pudding will keep for several days in the refrigerator.

Riesling Syrup

• 2 cups Arbor Hill’s Riesling
• 1 cup apple cider
• 2 ½ cups dark brown sugar, packed
• pinch of salt

Method

Mix all ingredients in saucepan. Bring to a boil and continue to simmer until reduced by half. Cool syrup. Syrup will keep for several weeks in the refrigerator.