Cranberry Pecan Orange Bread Pudding

I'd never made bread pudding before, so Christmas seemed like the perfect time to try my hand. Bread pudding is one of those things that is either great or horrible and you never know which until it's too late. This wasn't my favorite thing ever. The bread sort of fused into one giant bread mass instead of staying light and fluffy. Oh, and I'm pretty sure pecans have no business in bread pudding. The recipe is from Martha Stewart Living.

2 tablespoons unsalted butter soft, plus more for baking dish
12 ounces brioche or challah bread cut into 1-in cubes
2 cups milk
3 cups heavy cream
4 lg. eggs + 1 lg. egg yolk
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup raisins

3/4 cup dried cranberries

3/4 cup orange juice

2 tablespoon orange zest

3/4 cup toasted pecans
1 cup boiling water, plus more for pan

Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish; set aside. Put bread in a large bowl; set aside. Heat milk and cream in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until just about to simmer; remove from heat.

Whisk eggs, yolk, sugar, salt, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a medium bowl. Whisking constantly, pour cream mixture in a slow, steady stream into egg mixture. Pour over bread; fold to combine. Let stand 3O minutes, tossing and pressing occasionally to submerge bread.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Meanwhile, soak raisins in 1 cup boiling water for 30 minutes. Simmer 3/4 cup dried cranberries in 3/4 cup orange juice until plump, 3 to 5 minutes.

Drain; stir raisins and cranberries into bread mixture. Add zest and pecans. With a slotted spoon, transfer bread to buttered dish; pour liquid in bowl over top. Using spoon, turn top layer of bread crust side up.

Set dish in a roasting pan; transfer to oven. Pour boiling water into pan to reach about halfway up sides of dish. Bake until golden brown, about 50 minutes. Let dish cool on a rack 10 to 20 minutes.

Grade: B-