*Just Peachy*

  Fresh peaches...yummm! I have alot of new peach recipes that I want to try so decided I had better get started before I no longer have fresh peaches to work with.

  My in-laws have a produce patch at their place where they raise produce for charity. One evening a week they have anyone that wants to help, come & pick beans, pull weeds & eventually dig potatoes. After the work is finished for the evening they usually have a potluck meal. Daren & I don't make it every time, but is fun to go when we can.

  Anyway, it suited us to go Tuesday evening  so I needed to make something to contribute to the potluck; something using peaches......I decided on this one & went to work in the kitchen.

Peach Bread Pudding w/ Caramel Rum Sauce



2 cups fresh peaches, peeled & finely chopped

1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk

3 eggs, lightly beaten

1 1/4 cups hot water

1/4 cup butter, melted

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla

5 cups French bread, torn into small pieces

CARAMEL SAUCE

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup butter

2 tbsp light corn syrup

1 1/2 tbsp rum

Combine sweetened condensed milk & eggs, add peaches & mix well. Stir in hot water, melted butter, cinnamon & vanilla. Stir french bread into custard mixture until bread is completely moistened. Pour into greased 9x13 baking dish. Bake @ 325* until knife inserted in center comes out clean, about 1 hour & 10 minutes.

While the pudding id baking, combine brown sugar, 1/2 cup butter, corn syrup & rum in saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat & simmer for 3-4 minutes until just slightly thickened. Let cool slightly.

Serve the pudding warm with caramel sauce & whipping cream. Cool & refrigerate any leftover pudding.

  I've never made bread pudding before (it's actually quite simple), so I baked a small dish just so we could taste it before I took it to the potluck. It was sooo good! Daren happened to be inside when I got it out of the oven & I let him try it also. I only got about two bites...he devoured the rest! ;)

  He wasn't the only one that liked it.....got lots of compliments on it & the pan was empty, all except for one little corner when I went to get it to bring home. I was glad because that sure would have been alot of bread pudding for us to eat if it hadn't disappeared.

~Sheila =)