Cranberry bread pudding with gingery orange syrup

The traditional comfort of bread pudding takes on a festive twist when baked in a fluted pan. The bright red cranberries and glistening gingery orange syrup provide an elegant holiday touch.

12 cups 1-inch bread cubes (1 large loaf)
12 eggs
2 cups buttermilk
½ cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons sugar
2 cups dried cranberries

The night before serving, lightly beat eggs with milk, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and salt in an extra-large mixing bowl. Add bread cubes, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Spread the butter on all sides of a nonstick 10-cup fluted tube baking pan or 10-inch round cake pan. Use all the butter to ensure the pudding unmolds. Sprinkle in sugar and tilt pan to cover all areas. Refrigerate for ten minutes, or overnight if preparing ahead.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sprinkle about ¼ cup dried cranberries into the baking pan. Stir remaining cranberries into bread cube mixture and pour into baking pan. Bake until top is golden and firm and butter bubbles around the edges of the pan, about one hour to 70 minutes. Transfer to serving platter and drizzle with gingery orange syrupy (recipe follows).

Makes about 20 small servings.