1 loaf of french bread
real butter
3 eggs
4 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
pinch of salt
1 1/2 cup milk
1 cup Half & Half
1 tbsp. vanilla

Slice french bread in 1 inch slices, butter one side and place in a small single serving baking dishes, like single quiche dishes. Mix milk and Half & Half together in a glass measuring cup, microwave on high 3 minutes until scalding. Beat eggs, egg yolks, sugar, salt, and vanilla. Pour scalding milk mixture into eggs while beating on low.

Pour egg and milk mix evenly over bread in each dish, letting bread soak up the liquid and topping off the dish with rest of liquid. We like to sprinkle the tops with more granulated sugar to give a crunchy, sweet crust.

Place baking dishes in 9 x 13 inch baking pan, and pour water around dishes up about 1/2 way. Bake in oven at 375 for 35-45 minutes. Tops will puff and crack. Remove from oven Sprinkle with powdered sugar and top with a large spoonful of Strawberry Jam.

Strawberry Jam...Inside a box of Sure-Gel pectin in the canning section you will find a recipe for strawberry freezer jam. We make up about 45 pounds of jam a year and store it in zip-lock freezer bags. Because it is frozen and the strawberries were never cooked, the jam tastes like fresh strawberries. Oo-oo-om good!

Our business guest, Jane, doesn’t care if it’s Easter or not, she loves our Bread and Butter pudding. I serve it in my oval OvenServe bakeware. These colorful pottery like dishes were favorites of mine from my childhood. Mama would make banana splits in them on Sunday nights. I looked all over Mom’s kitchen for them when I grew up. She didn’t remember where they had gone. So I began collecting more of these dishes during my antiquing trips. One dish here and another there. When I was visiting my little sister, Mary, in New Orleans I happened upon the family dishes. Yes, right up there in the top of her cupboard. By now I have a great collection of them even a large one that Gary gets. Whenever Jane stays with us, I get up early and bake Bread and Butter Puddings for everyone in the family and all of the staff. It’s a celebration!