Instructions: To make French bread pudding: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In large bowl of mixer, cream sugar and butter. Add eggs, cream, cinnamon, vanilla and raisins.

Mix well. Pour into a 2 inch deep, 9-by-12 inch pan. Arrange bread slices flat in egg mixture and let stand 5 minutes. Turn bread over and let stand for 10 minutes to absorb liquid. Then, without breaking bread, push bread down in liquid so that most of bread is covered by egg mixture. Set pan in larger pan filled with water to 1/2 inch from top. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake 45-50 minutes, uncovering pudding for the last 10 minutes to brown.

Bread pudding souffle: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Put 2 1/2 cups French bread pudding in a large mixing bowl (cool and refrigerate remaining bread pudding for future desserts). Put egg yolks and 1/2 cup granulated sugar in top of a double boiler. Whip over simmering water with a whisk until frothy. Mix yolk mixture with bread pudding in bowl until smooth. Beat egg whites in small bowl of mixer until frothy. Gradually add confectioners sugar, beating constantly until resulting meringue stands in stiff peaks. Gently fold egg whites into mixture in bowl.

Butter and dust with sugar (using remaining granulated sugar) a 2 1/2-quart souffle dish (or a 1 1/2-quart souffle dish with collar). Turn souffle mixture into dish, filling it 3/4 full. Wipe lip of souffle dish clean and bake 35-40 minutes.

Whiskey sauce: In saucepan, combine sugar, cream, cinnamon stick and butter.

Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium. Combine cornstarch and water. Add to cream mixture and cook, stirring constantly, 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in bourbon and set aside. Serve souffle hot from oven with sauce in a separate bowl on the side.

If you would like to email yourself the recipe for later use, or share the recipe with your friends or family, enter the email addresses below and this recipe will be emailed to you and others as well.