Instructions: Preheat the oven to 350. With a pastry brush, spread the softened butter evenly over the bottom and sides of a 13 X 9 X 2-inch baking/serving dish. Set the dish aside.

Break the bread into chunks, dropping then into a bowl as you proceed, and pour milk over them. When the bread is softened, crumble it into small bits and let it continue to soak until all the milk is absorbed.

In a small bowl, beat 3 eggs and 2 cups of sugar together with a wire whisk or electric beater until the mixture is smooth and thick. Stir in the raisins and vanilla extract, then pour the egg mixture over the bread crumbs and stir until all the ingredients are well combined.

Pour the bread pudding into the prepared dish, spreading it evenly and smoothing the top with a rubber spatula. Place the dish in a large shallow roasting pan set on the middle shelf of the oven and pour boiling water into the pan to a depth of about 1 inch. Bake for 1 hour, or until a knife inserted in the center of the pudding comes out clean.

BOURBON SAUCE:
1/2 cup butter, cut into 1/2-inch bits
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup bourbon

Melt the butter bits in the top of a double boiler set over hot, not boiling water.

Stir sugar and the egg together in a small bowl and add the mixture to the butter. Stir for 2 to 3 minutes, until the sugar dissolves completely and the egg is cooked, but do not let the sauce come anywhere near a boil or the egg will curdle. Remove the pan from the heat and let the sauce cool to room temperature before stirring in the bourbon.

Serve the bread pudding at once, directly from the baking dish, and present the sauce separately in a sauceboat or small bowl.

NOTE:
The better the bourbon, the better the sauce.

NOTES: This is excellent, always a hit at dinner parties.

Preparation Time:1:15

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