Apricot Jam Bread Pudding

Bread pudding has a wonderful old fashioned feel to it. It is a dish built on a foundation of thrift – using up leftover bread and transforming it into a sweet treat. The allure of making bread pudding is that special moment when you have all the ingredients in your kitchen without needing to run for something at the store. This particular version came about when I had just the right ingredients in my fridge…day-old sourdough bread, dairy products, and some apricot jam just begging to be used.

Ingredients
3 cups cubed sourdough bread
3 cups half-and-half or heavy cream
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
½ teaspoon almond extract
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
6 ounces apricot jam

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk the half-and-half, eggs, egg yolks, and extracts. Add the cubed bread and allow it to soak in the mixture for about 10 minutes. Remove enough bread cubes from the mixture to cover the bottom of an 8x8 baking dish. Spread about half of the apricot jam and then cover with the remaining bread cubes. Pour the half-and-half mixture on top of the bread cubes and spread the remaining jam. Bake for an hour, or until the sides puff up and turn golden brown, and the center is set.