Panetonne Bread Pudding

Christmas eve dinner with friends tonight: Salmon & Beetroot Blinis, 3-bird roast with walnut & wild mushroom stuffing and this awesome dessert, Panettone bread pudding with double vanilla ice-cram. Comfort food at its best this Festive Season.  Here we go ... 

500g Italian Panettone 
Butter for greasing dish
3 large eggs
8 egg yolks
3 cups milk
2 cups cream
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp sherry
1/2 cup sugar

Preheat over to 180'C
Cut Panettone into thick slices and then 1 inch cubes
Arrange single layer on a baking sheet and bake for 8 min until just brown
Grease a 22cm x 30cm x 5cm baking dish and place cubes herein
In a bowl whisk whole eggs, egg yolks, milk, cream, vanilla, sherry and sugar
Pour mix over cubes and allow to draw for 10 min
Place baking dish in a larger dish
Add very hot tap water in the large dish until it's halfway up the sides of the baking dish
Cover large dish with aluminium foil, tented so it does not touch the cubes
Punch a few whole in the foil to allow for steaming
Bake 45 min
Uncover and bake a further  40 min until custard is set and top is golden brown
Allow to cool for 15 min before serving

For those celebrating Christmas ... wishing you and your loved ones a very MERRY CHRISTMAS!