* Active Time: 20 minutes
* Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
INGREDIENTS
1 cup sweetened dried cranberries
1/2 cup spiced rum or water
3 large eggs plus 3 large egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp each salt and ground nutmeg
2 cups heavy cream
1 3/4 cup milk
One 8-oz loaf Italian bread (preferably day-old)
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
Cranberry-Rum Sauce (recipe follows)
PREPARATION
1. Put dried cranberries and spiced rum in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high 1 minute or until hot. Remove and let stand 15 minutes or until cranberries are softened and plumped. Drain, reserving liquid for the Cranberry-Rum Sauce (about 2 Tbsp).
2. Meanwhile, heat oven to 350ºF. You’ll need a greased 9-in. deep-dish pie plate and a large roasting pan. Bring about 8 cups water to a boil in microwave or on stove.
3. Whisk eggs, egg yolks, sugar, vanilla, salt and nutmeg in a large bowl until blended. Whisk in heavy cream and milk. Set aside.
4. Slice bread into 3/4-in. slices. Reserve 10 of the nicest (for the “crust”), then cut remaining into bite-size chunks.
5. Dip each of the 10 slices of bread into the egg mixture until generously and evenly moistened. Arrange the slices vertically around the edge of the dish. (The slices should extend a little above the rim.) Press the bottoms of the slices against the dish to fit its shape.
6. In a large bowl, toss remaining bread chunks, the drained cranberries and 3/4 cup of the coconut. Fill center of pie plate with mixture. Pour egg mixture evenly over top, making sure to soak all the bread pieces. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup coconut.
7. Put pie plate into roasting pan; place on oven rack. Pour hot water into pan to come about halfway up sides of pie plate.
8. Bake 50 to 60 minutes, until golden and firm in center. Serve warm with Cranberry-Rum Sauce.
Cranberry-Rum Sauce: In a microwave-safe bowl, whisk 1 cup canned jellied cranberry sauce, 2 Tbsp spiced rum (use the reserved liquid from soaking the cranberries), 2 Tbsp water and ½ tsp vanilla extract. Microwave on high 2 minutes. Whisk and microwave 1 minute more until smooth and hot.
