Ingredients
3 large eggs1-1/2 cups half-and-half cream1-1/2 teaspoons almond extract6 cups cubed panettone bread (2-inch cubes, about 12 ounces)1 cup semisweet chocolate chips1 cup sliced fresh or frozen pitted dark sweet cherries, thawed1 cup sliced almonds, toastedVANILLA BUTTER SAUCE:1/4 cup unsalted butter1/4 cup packed light brown sugar1 cup vanilla bean ice cream
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°. Whisk together eggs, cream and extract. Add panettone cubes; soak 3 minutes, turning to coat. Meanwhile, pulse chocolate chips in a food processor until finely ground.
In a greased 9-in. deep-dish pie plate, layer half of each of the following: cubed panettone, ground chocolate, cherries and almonds. Repeat layers. Bake until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 40-45 minutes.
Meanwhile, for sauce, melt butter over medium heat in a small saucepan. Whisk in brown sugar until sauce resembles caramel. Stir in ice cream; simmer over low heat until it coats a spoon, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl to cool completely. Sauce will thicken as it cools. Serve with bread pudding.
