• 14 oz stale bread (see below)
• 1 3/4 lb apples peel, core, dice
• 2 1/2 tbsp flour
• ½ tsp nutmeg and ginger
• ½ tsp  ginger
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter melted
• 2 1/4 cups whole milk
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp apple pie spice
• Optional: ice cream for serving

Prepare the Apple Filling:
1. In a medium sauce pan, over medium heat, melt butter. Add flour and stir well with a whisk. Add 3/4 cup of brown sugar and stir well.
2.  Add diced apples, apple pie spice and water, stir and cover. Cook over medium heat until the apples are soft, stirring occasionally. (10-15 minutes.)
3. Take off heat and strain through a strainer, saving the juices, if there are any. You will be using the juice to top off cooked bread pudding.
4. Let the cooked apples cool a bit.

Put It Together:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 and lightly grease a cast iron skillet (or two!)
2.  Spread stale bread in the baking dish evenly. Spread apples all over the bread evenly. Mix together as best you can.
3.  In a large mixing bowl, whisk eggs, milk, melted butter, vanilla extract, 1/2 cup of brown sugar, spices, and cinnamon.
4.  Pour egg mixture all over the bread and apples. Press down on bread lightly and put in the oven.
5. Bake for 35-40 minutes. You can check for doneness by touching in the center, if it feels dense and firm, the eggs are cooked.
6. Pull bread pudding out of the oven and pour saved juices from cooking apples all over the bread pudding.
7. Serve bread pudding warm and with a school of vanilla ice cream on top.  My fav is cinnamon flavored.

About 24 hours before preparing this bread pudding, cut bread into 1/2 -3/4inch cubes and spread it out on a large baking sheet. Leave it out to get stale for about a day.
Salted Caramel Sauce

Gather all of your ingredients and have them nearby ready to add to the mixture as needed.

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp water
• 1/4 cup salted butter, diced into 1 Tbsp pieces
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 tsp fine sea salt, or more to taste

1. In a heavy-bottomed 2 – 3 quart saucepan (something that isn’t dark on bottom so you can see the shade of caramel), heat sugar, salt and water over medium-high heat whisking constantly to dissolve sugar.
2. Once mixture reaches a boil, stop whisking and allow mixture to boil until it reaches a dark amber color, carefully swirling pan occasionally* (this will take time, so be patient.)
3. It will first bubble vigorously and steam and it will be a clear shade, then bubbling will continue but the bubbles will become smaller and slower and it will slowly tint yellowish, then orangish, then a deep reddish orange and that is what you are looking for.
4. Once mixture reaches a dark amber color, immediately add butter and whisk until butter has melted then immediately remove from heat.

Top it all off with some ice cream, if you like. Pour the caramel over your delicious Bread Pudding and ENJOY!