Cranberry Bread Pudding Recipe

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Mix all ingredients except cranberries by hand in a bowl, breaking up the bread and preserves as you go. Fold in the cranberries.

Pour the batter into a greased 10-inch round pan, or into 8 medium muffin molds. Bake for about 40 minutes (a little less for individual bread puddings), or a little longer, until the pudding looks nice and puffy, and the center is barely firm. Serve warm or at room temperature, alone or with  a scoop of sorbet or vanilla ice cream. Makes about 8 servings.

Variation: Apple bread pudding: Skip the cranberries, and reduce the milk to 2 cups. Add 4 Granny Smith (green) apples, unpeeled and coarsely grated, and 2 tablespoons cinnamon, 3 tablespoons rum or brandy (optional). Proceed just as above.