Orange Kissed Breakfast Bread Pudding

I wandered onto the Pillsbury website the other day and found all their recipes for their bake-off finalists. Their recipes are amazing! I can only dream of creating something worthy of being in a contest. Out of all of the recipes this bread pudding popped out at me, mostly because of the little story that the recipe creator wrote up. Recipe creator, Kristi Strong of West Jordan, Utah, said that she made this recipe after trying bread pudding for the first time and loved the taste, but wanted to make a bread pudding that wasn't soggy. Hallelujah! Finally someone who sees it my way!

ingredients

2 cans (13.9 oz each) Pillsbury refrigerated orange flavor sweet rolls with icing (16 rolls)

2 cups half and half

2 whole eggs

2 egg yolks

½ cup sugar

¾ cup Walnut Halves and Pieces, coarsely chopped

¼ cup half and half

¼ cup butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

directions

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Spray large cookie sheet with cooking spray.

2. One cookie sheet, place rolls one inch apart. Reserve icing. Bake 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 10 minutes.

3. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. Spray 8-inch square pan with cooking spray. Using serrated knife, cut rolls into 1/2- to 1-inch pieces; set aside.

4. In a large bowl, mix 2 cups half and half, whole eggs, egg yolks, sugar and walnuts until well blended. Gently stir in roll pieces. Spread in pan.

5. Bake at 350 degrees 50-55 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes clean and top is deep golden brown. Cool 30 minutes.

6. Meanwhile, in 1-quart saucepan, heat icing (from both containers). ¼ cup half and half and butter over low heat, stirring occasionally, until butter is melted. Stir in vanilla.

7. Cut warm bread pudding into 9 servings. Drizzle with sauce.

Pillsbury.com