BREAD AND BUTTER PUDDING WITH CARAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat the broiler.
• Butter one side of each slice of bread and toast them with the buttered side up. Watch carefully as not to burn.
• Stand bread slices upright to cool-- do not stack as they will stick together-- When toast is cool and dry, trim off crusts and cut into triangles.
• Arrange in a deep 10 inch cake pan, in a spiral overlapping, with the points up. There will be an empty space in the centre.
• Sprinkle with the 2 tbsp sugar and the cinnamon. Set aside.
• Split the vanilla bean and scrape the seeds into the milk in a saucepot, over medium heat.
• Note: If using extract, do not put it in the milk here, scald the milk alone.
• In a large bowl, beat the eggs, remaining sugar, salt and vanilla extract if been used, until smooth and lemon coloured-- about one minute.
• With mixer on low, and in a stream add the scalded milk-- now remove the vanilla bean.
• With a ladle pour as much of this custard into the centre of the cake pan, careful not too overflow-- let stand and keep adding more, as its been soaked inches.
• Bake in a hot 400°F oven in a hot water bath-- for about 40 minutes until pudding is firm and puffed and golden brown-- Remove and place on a rack to cool.
• Sauce-- Put butter in a pot, and pour in the sugar.
• DO NOT STIR Over medium heat allow sugar to caramelize slowly--should take 10 minutes or so.
• Stir when mixture is a nice brown colour and bubbling.
• Continue until its a dark golden brown-- Stir in small amounts of the cream, it will harden up-- but then will go back to a liquid, or a thick syrup-- Strain through a sieve, and keep hot in a warm water bath, until needed.
• To serve-- cut the cake into ten portions, as you would a pie-- using a knife and a pie lifter to remove, as not to loose any custard-- Pour some sauce over each.