COMMENT: Like red beans and rice, bread pudding is a traditional New Orleans dish. Why should one have to give it up when modifying one's diet? If you are cutting back fat and sugar in your diet, we have replaced whole eggs with egg substitute and used skim and evaporated skim milk instead of whole milk and heavy cream. I guarantee it is just as good as the original.

INGREDIENTS FOR BREAD PUDDING:

• 2½ cups stale French bread broken into ½ inch pieces
• ½ cup egg substitute
• 2 cups skim milk
• 2 tbsp + 2 tsp Splenda brand sweetener
• ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• ½ cup regular or golden raisins
• 4 tsp vanilla
  

METHOD:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a mixing bowl, blend the egg substitute, skim milk, sweetener and cinnamon. Add the bread to the liquid mixture and soak for 1 minute. Add the raisins and vanilla and mix well. Pour the mixture into an 8" x 8" baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.

INGREDIENTS FOR RUM SAUCE:

• ½ cup skim milk
• ½ cup evaporated skim milk
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 2 tbsp dark rum
• 2 tbsp + 2 tsp Splenda brand sweetener
• pinch cinnamon
  

METHOD:
In a small saucepan, blend the skim milk, evaporated skim milk, cornstarch, rum, Splenda and cinnamon. Heat over medium high heat. Once sauce comes to a boil, remove from heat and stir constantly so sauce will not coagulate. Foam forming on the sauce is normal and will disappear when cooling. To serve, spoon the hot bread pudding onto dessert plates and top with the rum sauce.