Tiramisu Bread Pudding!

Did you ever see a recipe and after reading it you realize, "where has this recipe been all my life?" Well, that's exactly what happened as soon as I saw this recipe! And the best part was that I had all the ingredients to make it right away! I was so happy that I actually ran to my kitchen and started making the recipe as soon as I was done reading it!

This Tiramisu Bread Pudding is THE best bread pudding I ever had! It tasted exactly like a Tiramisu dessert that I would get at a fine restaurant! And it was SO easy to make! I knew it would be perfect just by the lovely smell that was coming out of the bowl after all the ingredients were mixed in!

I made the recipe exactly as written except I added dark rum liquor instead of vanilla extract and I use fat free "whipped" cream (the frozen kind that you thaw and use) instead of 'whipping cream'. I also sprinkled a little cocoa powder on top. I cut the recipe in half and baked it in a 9" pie dish. Here are the ingredients  with my changes...

                                    Ingredients:
                                  1 1/3 cups milk
1 1/4 cups whipping cream-I used fat free "whipped" cream
                 2 tablespoons instant coffee crystals
                              6 eggs, lightly beaten
                          2/3 cup granulated sugar
                        1/3 cup packed brown sugar
                 2 teaspoons vanilla-I used dark rum liquor
             8 cups torn white bread slices (about 12 slices)
                            1/3 cup powdered sugar
               1 recipe Cream Cheese Topper (recipe below)
                      Cocoa Powder for garnish - my idea
                                      Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In large bowl stir together milk, whipping cream(or fat free "whipped" cream), and coffee crystals until coffee is dissolved. Reserve 1 tablespoon milk mixture; set aside.

Stir eggs, the sugars, and vanilla (or rum) into milk mixture. Stir in bread pieces until moistened. Evenly divide among eight ungreased 6-ounce ramekins or custard cups, filling each almost full. Place on a 15x10x1-inch baking pan. Or spread into a 9" pie dish.
Bake 30 minutes or until puffed, set, and a knife inserted near center comes out clean. Transfer to wire rack (puddings will fall slightly as they cool).

In small bowl combine powdered sugar and reserved 1 tablespoon milk mixture; stir until smooth. Drizzle over bread pudding. Dollop with Cream Cheese Topper. Sprinkle with cocoa powder. Makes 8 servings.

Cream Cheese Topper

Yield: 1-1/2 cups

3/4 cup whipping cream - or fat free "whipped" cream
1 ounce cream cheese, softened- I used fat free
1 tablespoon powdered sugar