This divine pudding must be assembled the night before and then baked before serving, making for easy entertaining.

Ingredients:

Butter for greasing souffle dish, plus 1/4 cup, melted

1 (16-ounce) can of cherries

2 (8-ounce) bars of cream cheese

8 slices of challah, cut about 1/4-inch thick

8 eggs

1 3/4 cups milk

1/4 cup sour cream

1 tablespoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

Coat a 2 1/2-quart souffle dish with butter. Using a strainer placed over a bowl, drain liquid from cherries and reserve.

Cut bars of cream cheese into 6 slices and place in a microwave safe bowl. Pour 1/4 cup of the cherry liquid over cheese and discard the rest. Microwave at high power for 90 seconds or until cheese softens. Mix together with a fork. Juice doesn’t fully incorporate.

Cover the bottom of the souffle dish with 4 slices of challah. Slices may overlap. Spread half of the cream cheese mixture over the challah. Spoon the cherries over the cheese mixture.

Cover cherries with the remaining challah. Spread the remaining cheese mixture over the challah.

Place the remaining ingredients in a large bowl and beat at high speed until well combined. Eggs turn frothy but butter clumps. Pour the egg mixture over the layered challah slices. Gently wiggle a spoon along the souffle dish’s edges to ease the egg mixture into every crevice. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, preheat oven to 350. Bake bread pudding for 90 minutes, or until it domes like a souffle. Serve immediately.

Yield: 8 servings