Grandma's Old Fashioned Bread Pudding With Vanilla Sauce

Ingredients:

2 cups milk
1/4 cup butter
4 cups white bread
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons cinnamon

optional items

1/2 cup seedless raisin (optional)

Vanilla Sauce

1 cup butter, soft (not margarine)
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla or 1 teaspoon rum flavoring

Directions:

1.   Heat oven to 350°F.
2.   Scald milk with butter; set aside to cool.
3.   In a large bowl place torn bread pieces, sprinkle with as much cinnamon as you like. Sprinkle 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 tsp salt and 2 eggs (slightly beaten) over cinnamon sugar bread pieces. Mix gently.
4.   Pour cooled scalded milk and butter over the bread mixture and add any optional items before pouring into greased loaf pan. Mixture should fill the bread pan.
5.   Place the loaf pan in a large baking pan and fill with 1" of water (called a water bath).
6.   Bread pudding is done when a knife inserted in center comes out clean. Oven temps may vary and so would the baking time.
7.   Slice into 1" slices and serve warm. top with a dollop of the Hard Sauce(see below).
8.   May be warmed in microwave for leftovers.
9.   Hard Sauce recipe:.
10. Beat butter until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar and then vanilla until all mixed.
11. Spoon a dollop on a slice of warm bread pudding. Mmm--enjoy!