Christmas Bread Pudding

Ingredients

 * 9 	slice  	Whole Wheat Bread
 * 8 	slice 	White Bread
 * 3 		Egg yolks, beaten
 * 1 1/2 	cup 	Cream, light
 * 1/3 	cup 	Sugar
 * 1 	dash 	Salt
 * 1 1/2 	tsp 	Vanilla
 * 2/3 	cup 	Raisins, light
 * 2/3 	cup 	Raisins, dark
 * 1/3 	cup 	Candied red cheeries, halved
 * 3/4 	cup 	Cream sherry
 * 1 	cup 	Waer
 * 2 		Egg yolks, beaten
 * 1/4 	cup 	Powdered sugar, sifted
 * 2 	tbsp 	Cream sherry
 * 1/4 	tsp 	Vanilla
 * 1/2 	cup 	Whipping cream

Directions
Remove crusts from bread; set crusts aside for another use. Cover bread slices with paper towels and let stand overnight. For custard, in a heavy medium saucepan combine 3 egg yolks, light cream, sugar, and salt. Cook and stir over medium heat. Continue cooking till mixture coats a metal spoon. Remove from heat; cool at once by placing saucepan in a sink of ice water and stirring for 1-2 minutes. Stir in 1- ½ teaspoons vanilla. Cover surface with clear plastic wrap. In a small bowl combine raisins. Place cherries in another bowl. Heat ¾ c. sherry till warm. Pour 2/3 c. sherry over raisins; pour remaining sherry over cherries. Set aside. Cut bread into ½ inch cubes (should have about 9 cups). In a bowl fold bread into custard till coated. Grease a 6-½-cup tower mold (without tube). Drain raisins and cherries, reserving sherry.<BR> Arrange one-fourth of cherries in bottom of the mold; sprinkle 1/3 c. raisins into the mold.<BR> Add one-fourth of bread-cube mixture.<BR> Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons reserved sherry.<BR> Repeat layers three times, arranging cherries and raisins near edges of the mold.<BR> Lightly press last layer with the back of a spoon.<BR> Pour remaining reserved sherry over all.<BR> Cover mold tightly with foil.<BR> Set mold into a 4 quart crockery cooker with liner in place.<BR> Pour 1 cup water into cooker around mold.<BR> Cover; cook on low heat setting abut 5 ½ hours or on high-heat setting about 3 hours or till pudding springs back when touched.<BR> Meanwhile, for sherry sauce, in a mixing bowl combine 2 egg yolks, powdered sugar, 2 tablesponns sherry, and ¼ teaspons vanilla.<BR> In a small mixing bowl beat whipping cream with a rotary beater till soft peaks form.<BR> Gently fold whipped cream into egg-yolk mixture.<BR> Cover and chill till serving time.<BR> Remove mold from cooker and let stand 10 minutes.<BR> Carefully unmold pudding onto a serving platter.<BR> Serve warm with sherry sauce. To serve, return pudding to the same mold.<BR> Cover with foil and place in the cooker, then pour 1 cup water around mold.<BR> Cover; cook on high-heat setting for 1 ½-2 hours or till warm.<BR> Let stand 10 minutes; unmold and serve with sauce.<BR> For 5- or 6- quart crockery cooker: use 1 ½ c. water to pour around mold.<BR> Leave remaining ingredient amounts the same.
 * or, remove pudding from mold, cover, and chill