Help!!!! Caramel Apple Bread Pudding 911

I have a brunch show TODAY, in a couple hours, and I'm making this. I tried it for the first time last night to practice, and it didn't cook! I cooked it a LOOOONG time! I'm thinking maybe I did something wrong. Are you supposed to let the bread cubes sit in the egg mixture for awhile to absorb some of the liquid? And, are you supposed to then pour the excess liquid into the baker at the end? It looked like raw egg after about 25 minutes, and it's only supposed to cook 15-16 minutes! PLEASE help! I'm panicking! TIA!:cry:

I haven't made this before. Where is the recipe?

OK.. just going back to basics here Jane... did you read through the recipe again to make sure you did each step - cooked in microwave, covered the baker, double check ingredient amounts used? that sort of thing?
How does your micro cook other things? is it high powered or a smaller one? Just throwing things out here.....

Amanda, it is in the SB Fall '06
The Pampered Chef ®
Caramel Apple Bread Pudding
Recipe


1 loaf (16 ounces) egg bread, such as challah (about 12 cups cubed)
3 red baking apples such as Jonathan
1 lemon
1 tablespoon butter
2 cups plus 1 tablespoon milk, divided
1 cup heavy whipping cream
6 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon Double-Strength Vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 package (14 ounces) caramels (about 48), unwrapped
1/2 cup toasted pecan halves
Apple Blossom Garnishes (optional)



Lightly spray Deep Covered Baker with vegetable oil using Kitchen Spritzer. Slice bread into 1-inch cubes using Bread Knife; set aside. Peel, core and slice apples using Apple Peeler/Corer/Slicer; cut slices into quarters using Utility Knife. Zest lemon using Microplane® Adjustable Grater to measure 1 teaspoon zest. Juice lemon using Juicer to measure 1 tablespoon juice. Melt butter in (10-in.) Skillet. Add apples, lemon zest and juice; cook and stir 3-4 minutes or until apples are softened.


Meanwhile, combine 2 cups of the milk and cream in Easy Read Measuring Cup. Microwave on HIGH 2-3 minutes or until hot. In Stainless (6-qt.) Mixing Bowl, combine eggs, brown sugar, vanilla and salt; mix until well blended using Mix 'N Masher. Gradually add milk mixture to eggs while continually whisking. Gently stir bread cubes into milk mixture; toss gently to coat using Small Mix 'N Scraper®.


Place caramels and remaining 1 tablespoon milk in Large Micro-Cooker®. Microwave, uncovered, on HIGH 1-2 minutes or until melted and smooth, stirring after each 30-second interval. Set aside 1/4 cup of the caramel mixture. To assemble bread pudding, place half of the bread mixture into baker. Top with half of the apples and drizzle with remaining caramel. Top with remaining bread mixture and apples. Cover baker and microwave on HIGH 15-16 minutes or until Pocket Thermometer registers 155ºF in center; let stand, covered, 10 minutes in microwave. (Temperature will rise to at least 160ºF.) Uncover baker and drizzle with reserved caramel. Coarsely chop pecans using Chef's Knife; sprinkle over bread pudding. Serve immediately with Apple Blossom Garnishes, if desired.



Yield: 16 servings


Nutrients per serving: Calories 350, Total Fat 15 g, Saturated Fat 6 g, Cholesterol 120 mg, Carbohydrate 45 g, Protein 8 g, Sodium 300 mg, Fiber 1 g


Cook's Tip: If desired, 2 teaspoons vanilla can be substituted for the Double-Strength Vanilla.

To toast pecans, spread over bottom of Small Oval Baker. Microwave on HIGH 2-3 minutes or until fragrant and lightly toasted, stirring after each 30-second interval.

For a quick sauce, melt vanilla ice cream and spoon onto serving plates. Top with bread pudding.


Apple Blossom Garnishes
Cut 1 red baking apple in half lengthwise using Santoku Knife; remove stem and seeds using Cook's Corer®. Cut each apple half crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices, place cut side down into Small Oval Baker, keeping apple halves together. Microwave on HIGH 2-2 1/2 minutes or until apple slices are softened. Roll up two apple slices together to create each blossom shape.


© 2009 The Pampered Chef used under license.

Oh, okay...I remember seeing that in the DCB cookbook file. That sounds really yummy! Charity's tips are a good reminder. I'd re-read it and go through in your mind what you did and just double check that you did each step as described in the recipe. Double check measurements and the time and the power setting of your microwave. Also, they do have you add the bread cubes to the egg/milk mixture and then toss to coat. Then they move on to another step, so in essence they do sit for a few minutes to soak. Were you doing the steps in the same order as the recipe? Maybe you didn't have them sit long enough in the egg mixture? Again, like Charity...just throwing stuff out there.Hopefully, it was just a one time glitch and things will go smoothly at your show today.

So? How did it go?
This recipe sounds really good and I'm going to have to try it!

It went very well. Luckily, the crowd was experienced bread pudding makers. So, they helped me figure out that a) it needs to sit a bit and soak up the egg b) substituting egg bagels for challah means it's not going to soak up as much, so, don't pour the exess egg over all of it if you do this sub and c) the excess moisture in the baker after it bakes is from the apples and the melted caramel. When you let it sit for a bit (after you let it sit covered), the apple juice and caramel mix together and get really yummy. I was sooooooooo glad I tried it at home though!

Awesome!! Thanks for the feedback. I'm going to have to try this soon.
Glad it worked out!

Thanks for keeping us posted on how it went. I'm glad it went well for you and your guests were helpful! It really sounds like a yummy recipe, I'm going to have to try it soon.