Coconut-cream Bread Pudding

Total Time: 1 hr 10 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 50 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 10
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 1/2 cups sugar, divided
• 4 large eggs
• 2 1/2 cups milk, at room temperature and divided
• 1 (15 ounce) can cream of coconut, divided
• 8 tablespoons butter, melted and divided
• 1 (8 ounce) french bread, loaf cut into 1-inch cubes
• vegetable oil cooking spray
• 1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 350°.
• 2 beat cream cheese at low speed with an electric mixer until creamy and smooth. add 1 cup sugar and eggs, and beat at medium speed 2 minutes or until sugar is dissolved. stir in 2 cups milk, 1 cup cream of coconut, and 3 tablespoons melted butter. stir in bread cubes. let stand 5 minutes.
• 3 coat a 13- x 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray. pour bread mixture into dish.
• 4 bake at 350° for 35 minutes or until set.
• 5 stir together flaked coconut, pecans, and 3 tablespoons melted butter. sprinkle coconut mixture over baked pudding, and bake 5 to 8 more minutes or until browned.
• 6 stir together remaining 1/2 cup milk and 1/2 cup cream of coconut.
• 7 cook remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a medium-size heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, 3 minutes or until sugar is caramelized and mixture becomes a light brown syrup. stir in milk mixture, and cook, stirring occasionally, 3 minutes or until sauce is thickened slightly and sugar is dissolved. stir in remaining 2 tablespoons melted butter.
• 8 cut bread pudding into 8 to 10 servings, and serve with caramelized sugar sauce.