Orange Bread Pudding with Cranberry Syrup

If you are looking for a classic holiday flavored brunch dish, this one is pretty tasty.  I changed up a orange french toast recipe to make it into a bread pudding.

ORANGE BREAD PUDDING

10-12 slices day old bread
4 large eggs
1 2/3 cups orange juice
1/3 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter
Chopped Pecans (optional)

Beat together egss,  sugar, milk, orange juice, vanilla, and nutmeg.  Cut bread with kitchen shears into 12 pieces per slice.  Grease a 9x13in pan.  Fill pan with bread pieces.  Pour egg and orange juice mixture over bread.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.  Sprinkle with chopped pecans and bake an additional 5-10 minutes until browned and eggs cooked through.

CRANBERRY SYRUP

1 cup fresh cranberries
1/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup water

Bring cranberries, sugar, and water to a boil, stirring continually.  Cranberries will begin to pop.  As berries pop mash with your stirring spoon.  When mixture begins to thicken, remove from heat and pour thru a fine mesh seive into a heatproof bowl.  Mash cranberries with a spoon to release as much juice as possible.  Makes 3/4-1 cup of syrup.  Save mashed cranberries for cranberry relish if desired for turkey dinner.