Bread Pudding with Rum Sauce- Yum!!!

It's been sooo hectic here with my new job, taking care of mom, etc. I just haven't had much time to paint. But I did get a bit of cooking done. So I decided it was time for a recipe. I used this one for my stepson's rehearsal dinner (I made 3 desserts, he made the rest- he's a professional chef! Do you know how scarey it is to cook for a professional chef?) :-0 But all 3 got rave reviews and they "licked the platters clean" which is always a good sign, as is going back for seconds (and
thirds!) So here it is, simple, and delicious...

BREAD PUDDING
6-8 c. bread, broken into small pieces
4 c. milk
2 c. sugar
3 eggs, slightly beaten
1 T. vanilla
1 c. raisins (optional)
1 c. chopped pecans (optional)
1 c. shredded coconut (optional)
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. nutmeg
Combine all ingredients, mixture should be very moist, but not soupy. Pour into buttered 9x12 baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees approx. 1 hr. and 15 min. until top is golden brown. Serve warm with sauce.

RUM SAUCE
1/2 c butter
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
1 egg
1 t. rum flavoring + water to make 1/2 c.

Cream butter and sugar over medium heat until all butter is absorbed. Blend egg in a small amount of this in separate bowl and add back in slowly. Add in rum/water mix gradually, stirring constantly. Cook several more min. on medium heat, stirring constantly. Sauce will thicken as it cools. Serve warm over bread pudding.

I hope you enjoy this recipe- it reminds me of desserts in fancy restaurants.
(The photo is one of my granddaughter's on her first birthday- it's not bread pudding, but you can see she approves the recipe!)