Buttermilk Bread Puding with Blackberry Sauce

Bread pudding is a special treat; this recipe comes from a tiny restaurant called, simply, "Dish" in Mentone, AL, on top of Lookout Mountain. The restaurant had a different menu every day and a dessert of the day. I had this once and was thrilled that they put this recipe in the paper! It's divine; try it when blackberry season hits this summer.

Custard

• 3 whole eggs
• 3 egg yolks
• 2/3 c. sugar
• 2 1/2 c. heavy cream
• 2 c. buttermilk
• 2 t. vanilla
• (6 generous cups good white bread, cut into 1-inch cubes)

1. Whisk together first whole eggs, egg yolks, and sugar. Add cream, buttermilk, and vanilla, mixing well. Add bread and allow it to soak at least 5 minutes, then mix or crumble with hands. Place in a buttered loaf pan.
2. Place loaf pan into larger baking pan. Fill larger pan with hot water up to 1/2 the height of the loaf pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour (until center is fairly firm). Cool and serve with blackberry sauce.

Blackberry Sauce

• 16-oz. package frozen blackberries (or fresh!)
• 1 c. sugar
• 2 T. flour
• 1/2 t. salt
• 4 T. butter
• lemon juice, optional
  

Place berries in small saucepan. Cover to top of berries with water and bring to a boil. In a small (heatproof) bowl, sift together sugar, flour, and salt. Pour boiling berries into sugar mixture, whisking together, then pour back into saucepan. Bring back to a boil and cook 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat. Whisk in butter and, if you like, a touch of lemon juice.

Serves 6 (? an estimate here)