Disney Recipe ~ Aulani ~ Caramel Hawaiian Sweet Bread Pudding

Wanting a touch of the tropics, I decided to try this bread pudding recipe. Be glad I did! It's yummy.

Ingredients
5 cups 1-inch-cuded Hawaiian Sweet Bread
1 1/2 cups sugar, divided
1/3 cup water
6 eggs
3 cups whole milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Pinch salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions
Preheat oven to 250. Place bread cubes in an even layer on two sheet pans. Toast brad until it feels dry and is light golden, about 15-25 minutes. Set aside.

Combine 1 cup sugar and water in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves.

Raise heat to medium-high and cook without stirring or touching pan until liquid caramelizes and turns dark gold (it's hard not to mess with it, but force yourself)
.Pour caramel into a 9-inch-square baking dish, tilting dish slightly in all directions to allow caramel to coat bottom surface. Set aside.

Increase oven temperature to 350.

Whisk eggs and remaining 1/2 cup sugar together until just combined. Whisk in milk, vanilla extract, and salt until well combined and sugar dissolves. Pour mixture through a fine mesh sieve. Set aside

Fill prepared dish with toasted bread, pour 3/4 of the custard mixture over toasted bread. Press bread down with the back of a large spoon. Pour remaining custard mixture over bread. Press down again with the spoon, allowing bread to soak up liquid.

Sprinkle cinnamon evenly over top.

Wrap sides of pan in aluminum foil..

Slide center rack out of oven; place dish inside a larger baking pan on center rack. Fill larger pan with water until it reaches halfway up sides of baking dish. Cover top with foil.
Carefully slide center rack into oven. Back until set and a small knife inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Uncover dish and set aside to cool in water 20 minutes; run paring knife along sides of bread pudding to loosen. Carefully invert onto serving platter and serve warm.