Mike's Soon-to-be-world-famous Bread Pudding

When I was growing up, one of the special desserts that my dad made and for which we shared a love, was bread pudding.  He had a great recipe for it and whenever he made it, we never had to share it with the rest of the family since we were the only ones who would eat it.

It has been quite a while since I had bread pudding, so on my birthday, Anthony and I made it as a special treat for my birthday dessert.  In the end, I ate it by myself since it has raisins in it, but I at least enjoyed it.  Next time I'll have to make it when my dad is around to share it with me!

Mix together in a large bowl:
6 slices cubed heavy raisin bread (I didn't have raisin bread, so I just used 8 slices of whole grain bread instead and added extra cinnamon and raisins)
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 c. raisins

In a pot, heat:
2 c. milk
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. butter
1/4 tsp. salt
Stir this mixture constantly until it boils.  Let it cool a little bit, then while whisking, add 3 well beaten eggs and 1 tsp. vanilla.

Pour the wet mixture over the bread, stir it all together, and put it all into a greased bread pan.  Bake at 350F for 50 minutes with the bread pan sitting in a larger pan of water.  Let it sit for 30 minutes to cool a bit and serve with hard sauce.

Hard sauce:
1/2 c. sugar
1 c. milk
1 1/2 tsp, corn starch
Cook these until the mixture thickens.  Don't use too high a heat or it might stick to the bottom of the pan...like it did for me.  Then add 1 tsp. vanilla and 1 Tbs. butter.