Bread Pudding with Butter-Scotch Sauce

for the Pudding:

• 8 ounces stale bread (choose French, Italian or Challah)
• 2 cups whole milk
• 3/4 cups pure cane granulated sugar
• 2 extra-large eggs
• 1 tablespoon Bourbon Madagascar vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup dried tart cherries
• 11/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

for the Sauce:

• 1 cup pure cane granulated sugar
• 1 extra-large egg
• 4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 1/3 cup blended Scotch whisky (I used Chivas Regal)
• 1/2 cup pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped

1. Break the bread into pieces and soak it in the milk. Squeeze the bread with your hands until well mixed. Add 2 beaten eggs, sugar, vanilla and cherries, and stir well.
2. Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
3. Pour the 1 1/2 tablespoons of melted butter into the bottom of a heavy pan (about 4 1/2 x 8 x 3 inches). Pour the bread mixture into the pan. Bake for about 45 minutes or until the pudding is firm and a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.
4. Let the pudding cool. To make the Butter-Scotch Sauce, cream the sugar and 1 egg. Add the melted butter and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Stir in the Scotch. When all is well blended, stir in the toasted, chopped pecans.
5. When ready to serve, pour the sauce over the pudding, and heat under the broiler.