Bread Pudding Soufflé

Serves 10

• 1/2 qt. heavy cream
  
• 1 c. milk
  
• 1/4 c. sugar
  
• 2 vanilla beans
  
• 1/4 c. corn starch
  
• 8 egg yolks
  
• 1 can Coco Lopez Melted butter
  
• 1/4 c. sugar
  
• 1 1/4 c. French bread, cubed
  
• 1 c. sliced almonds
  
• 2 cans condensed milk
  
• 4 tsp. vanilla extract
  
• 1/4 c. clarified butter
  
• 6 eggs whites whipped to a peak
  
• 1 c. raisins
  
• 2 bananas, sliced
  
• 1 can evaporated milk
  
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
  
• 1/4 c. sugar
  
• 10 banana leaves
  
• 10 coconut shells, halved
  
• Powdered sugar to garnish

For the sauce, bring cream, milk, sugar and scraped vanilla beans to a boil. In a bowl, whip corn starch, yolks and a little of the milk mixture. Add corn starch mixture to the rest of the milk mixture and cook on low heat, stirring for three minutes. Strain, add Coco Lopez and chill.
For the pudding, brush souffle molds with butter and dust with sugar. Mix remaining ingredients (except banana leaves and coconut halves) in a bowl. Fill molds and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve on plate lined with banana leaf. Serve sauce in a halved coconut shell.

Posted online 03/01/01.