Nuevo Cubano Bread Pudding

Nuevo Cubano Bread Pudding
Yield: 8 to 10 servings

6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup 1/2-inch diced pineapple
1 cup 1/2-inch diced bananas
4 large eggs
3 cups heavy cream
1 cup coconut milk
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
6 cups 1/2-inch cubes day-old Cuban or French bread

Coconut Rum Sauce, recipe follows

1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut, toasted
Confectioners' sugar, garnish

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Butter a 13 by 9-inch baking dish with 2 tablespoons of the butter.

In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Add the pineapple and bananas and cook, stirring, until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.

In a small saucepan, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the cream, coconut milk, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and allspice, and whisk well. Add the bread, fruit, and melted butter, and stir well to combine. Let sit until the bread is saturated. Pour into the prepared dish.

Bake until golden and firm when pressed in the center, about 1 hour. Remove from the oven and cool slightly on a wire rack to set, about 20 minutes.

Serve on dessert plates. Spoon the sauce over the pudding and sprinkle each serving with the coconut and confectioners' sugar.

Coconut-Rum Sauce:

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup coconut milk
2/3 cup sugar
1 large egg yolk, beaten
1/2 cup light rum

In a medium saucepan, combine all the ingredients except the rum. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until the sauce has thickened and coats the back of a spoon, about 10 minutes. (Do not allow the sauce to boil or the egg will curdle and the sauce will not be smooth.) Remove from the heat, whisk in rum, and set aside to cool slightly before serving.

Yield: about 2 cups