Bread Pudding with Butter Pecan Sauce

Pudding
4 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
3 cups milk
1 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup raisins
2 medium apples, peeled and thinly sliced
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 loaf Texas toast, torn into pieces

Sauce
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons butter, softened at room temperature
1 teaspoon butter pecan extract

Combine all pudding ingredients except bread. Add bread and allow to soak up liquid, about 20 minutes.

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease 9 x 13-inch glass baking dish and pour bread mixture into pan. Bake about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Serve with sauce.

To make sauce, place sugar and water in small saucepan over high heat and cook, stirring until sugar is dissolved.

Reduce heat to medium and cook without stirring, just washing down sides of pan with a pastry brush dipped in water until sauce has turned caramel color (about 15 mintues). Remove syrup from heat. Let cool slightly, then slowly add cream, butter and extract, being sure hot syrup doesn't spatter. Stir until smooth. Serve on bread pudding.

Serves 8.