Chocolate Lovers Bread Pudding

Ingredients:

• 11 slices of Aunt Millie's Old-Fashioned White Bread (cubed)
• 2 Honeycrisp apples
• 1 cup dried cherries
• 2 large eggs (beaten)
• 1 3/4 cup milk
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Chocolate Sauce (or substitue with store-bought sauce):

• 2/3 cup milk
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 4 oz bittersweet chocolate

Yield: 8 servings

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. Peel apples and cut into thin slices. Combine bread cubes, apple slices and dried cherries in a large mixing bowl, mix well, and spread mixture in a greased 7 x 11 inch baking dish
3. In a separate mixing bowl, combine beaten eggs, milk, brown sugar, melted butter, and vanilla. Pour evenly over bread mixture and place in oven for 40 minutes or until center is set
4. While pudding is in oven, combine chocolate sauce ingredients in a medium sauce pan. Stir over medium heat until smooth. Remove from heat
5. Top bread pudding with desired amount of chocolate sauce. Best served warm with vanilla ice cream