I've mentioned that my family is very attached to the city of New Orleans and all that comes with it...food, music, architecture, people and culture.  One of our favorite food traditions when we visit is to stop in the Palace Cafe for their famous  White Chocolate Bread Pudding.  After one visit my stepfather decided to create his own version of one of our NOLA favorites.  We had it this year (and most years) for Christmas Day dessert. Coconut Mango White Chocolate Bread Pudding Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp melted butter
• 4 large eggs
• 3 cups unsweetened coconut milk
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup rum
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp ginger
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1-1/2 cups diced mango
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut
• 4 oz white chocolate
• 6 cups cubed day-old crustless bread

Steps:

1. Melt white chocolate in coconut milk on stovetop over medium-low heat.  Set aside and allow to cool slightly.
2. Whisk eggs and add to white chocolate mixture. (you want the white chocolate mixture to be cool enough so as not to scramble the eggs...)  Add all spices and whisk together.
3. In large buttered baking dish combine the cubed bread, mango sliced and coconut.  Pour the chocolate mixture over the bread mixture and let soak for 30 minutes.
4. Bake at 350* for one hour.  Serve with rum sauce.

Rum Sauce Ingredients:

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1/2 cup rum
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch

Steps:

1. Combine run, sugar and 1-1/2 cups of cream in medium saucepan.  Bring to a simmer and remove from the heat.
2. Dissolve the cornstarch in the remaining 1/2 cup of cream.  Add to the rum mixture.
3. Return to heat and simmer for 4 minutes.

You will probably need two medium-sized loaves of bread...Italian is what we typically use.  If you remove the bread from its packaging and sit out over night it will be sufficiently stale the next morning.  Remove all crust and cut into 1" cubes. The recipe is really quite simple  and the combination of flavors is absolutely perfect.  I actually made this for my co-workers for breakfast once and they were very, very happy... I hope that some of you will try it and let me know what you think!