Instructions: This recipe is a combination of one given to me by the Santa Fe School of Cooking and one tasted at the Border Grill in Los Angeles.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Tear bread into bite-sized pieces and place in baking dish.

Toast in oven for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, over medium high heat, stir the sugar continuously in a saucepan until it melts and turns a light caramel color. Immediately add the water and apple juice.

Be careful; the caramel will bubble and splatter. Do not bend over the pan when you do this! The caramel will partially solidify but will liquefy again as you heat it. Add the butter and raisins. When caramel is completely liquefied, remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.

Pour mixture over the bread pieces in the baking dish. Make sure all of the bread is well soaked with caramel. Place tablespoons of the cream cheese throughout the bread. Sprinkle the top with pecans and cinnamon.

Bake at 350 degrees F. for 20 to 26 minutes, or until all but a little of the caramel at the bottom of the dish is ab sorbed.

Lightly whip the cream. Add the sugar and vanilla. Serve the pudding warm with the sweetened cream.

Note: You may add a peeled, chopped apple or pear to the pudding before it is baked.

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