Christmas Bread Pudding

Ingredients:
9 wholewheat bread slices
3 egg yolks; beaten
1-1/2 cups light cream
1/3 cup sugar
Dash Salt
1-1/2 teaspoons Vanilla extract
2/3 cup light raisins
2/3 cup dark raisins
1/3 cup candied red cherries; halved
1 cup water

Sherry sauce ingredients:
2 eggs; beaten
2 tablespoons cream sherry
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup whipping cream

Directions:
For custard, in heavy medium-size saucepan combine 3 egg yolks, light cream, sugar and salt. Cook and stir over medium heat. Continue cooking and stirring until mixture coats a spoon. Remove from heat; cool at once by placing pan in sink of ice water. Stir for 2 minutes. Stir in 1-1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Cover surface with plastic wrap.

In small bowl, combine raisins; set aside. Combine cherries. Pour only 2/3 cup warm sherry over raisins; pour remaining sherry over cherries.

Fold cut bread (about 9 cups) into custard until coated. Grease a 6-1/2-cup tower mold (without tube). Drain raisins and cherries, reserving sherry. Arrange 1/4 of cherries in bottom of mold; sprinkle 1/3 cup raisins into mold. Add 1/4 of bread mixture. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons reserved sherry. Repeat layers 3 times, arranging cherries and raisins near edges of mold. Lightly press last layer with back of spoon. Pour remaining sherry over all.

Cover mold tightly with foil. Set mold into 3-1/2 or 4 quart crockpot with liner in place. Pour 1 cup water into cooker around mold. Cover; cook on low-heat about 5-1/2 hours or high for 3 hours, or until the pudding springs back when touched.

Remove mold from crockpot and let stand for 10 minutes. Carefully unmold onto serving platter. Serve warm with sherry sauce (below).

TO DO AHEAD: Remove from mold, cover and chill. Before serving, return to same mold. Cover with foil, and place in crockpot. Then pour 1 cup of water around mold. Cook in crockpot for 1-1/2 hours (or until warm) on high setting. Unmold and serve warm with sherry sauce.

SHERRY SAUCE: In mixing bowl: combine 2 egg yolks, powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons sherry and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla. Beat whipping in small mixing bowl until sosft peaks form. Gently fold whipped cream into egg yolk mixture. Cover and chill until serving time. Serve warm.

Nutrition information per cookie:
37 calories
2g fat (1g saturated)
9mg cholesterol
25mg sodium
5g carbohydrate
Trace fiber
Diabetic exchange: 1/2 starch