Monkeying Around With Bread Pudding

DEAR SOS: Would you please get the recipe for Monkey Business Bread Pudding from Rainforest Cafe in Ontario? The pudding is very good, with hidden pieces of fruit and coconut.

BONNIE SALDANO

Chino

DEAR BONNIE: Dried apricots are used in this unusual coconut bread pudding. Pasteurized egg yolks are available in most supermarket dairy cases. Rainforest Cafe uses Coco Lopez coconut cream.

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Rainforest Monkey Business Bread Pudding

Active Work Time: 20 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

1 3/4 cups milk

1 1/2 (15-ounce) cans coconut cream

2/3 cup sugar

1 cup pasteurized egg yolks, about 12 yolks

1 1/4 tablespoons vanilla extract

1/2 pound white bread or baguette, cut into 1-inch cubes

1/3 cup thinly sliced dried apricots

1/2 cup shredded coconut

* Heat milk and coconut cream with half of sugar until sugar melts, about 5 minutes. Do not boil. Beat egg yolks with remaining sugar and slowly add to hot milk mixture, stirring constantly until sugar is dissolved. Stir in vanilla.

* Spread bread cubes in 13x9-inch baking pan. Pour milk mixture over and mix to combine bread and milk. Let soak 15 minutes. Add apricots and coconut and toss to combine. Press apricots into bread mixture so they don’t scorch during baking.

* Place baking pan in larger pan and fill with enough water to come halfway up sides of pan. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees 1 hour. Remove foil and bake until top is slightly browned, 5 to 10 minutes. Cut into squares and serve warm.

12 servings. Each serving: 313 calories; 154 mg sodium; 275 mg cholesterol; 19 grams fat; 31 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams protein; 1.90 grams fiber.

* Plate from Windows, Pasadena.