White Chocolate Banana Bread Pudding with dark chocolate rum sauce

Description
I have a fascination with bread puddings and try them at different places as often as possible. Bread puddings are so open to interpretation and i love seeing the nuances between different interpretations.
Ingredients
- 1 loaf day-old french bread
- 2-3 ripe bananas
- 4 eggs
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup raw cane or turbinado sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 cup raisins
- 2-3 tablespoons butter
- 6 ounces white chocolate (chopped into small pieces)
- 2 shots dark rum
- 1 cup toasted pecans (chopped)
- 3/4 cup heavy cream (or half and half)
- 8 ounces dark chocolate (at least 75% cacao)
- 1/4 cup dark rum
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
- In a heavy sauté pan, melt 2-3 tbs. of butter
- Add 2-3 bananas (sliced) and saute for 2-3 minutes on medium high heat
- Add 1/4 cup of turbinado sugar and saute for additional 1-2 minutes
- Remove from heat, add 2 shots of rum and ignite. After alcohol burns off, set aside and combine other ingredients.
- In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar and cream.
- Combine vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, raisins, white chocolate and bread cubes in bowl. Add bananas to mixture.
- Pour mixture into a baking dish (9"x13" for a thick bread pudding. If using a larger dish, reduce cook time to avoid drying out). Top with toasted pecans and bake @ 350 F for about an hour.
- Dark chocolate rum sauce
- Melt butter over double boiler or low heat
- Add chocolate to melt
- Add cream and rum to mixture. Combine and serve over bread pudding