Famous Dave's Bread Pudding

DIRECTIONS:Preheat oven to 325°F. Heavily coat bottom and sides of a 2 inch-deep baking dish with butter. Tear bread into 1” inch pieces. Mix with raisins in a bowl. Spread the bread mixture evenly in prepared dish, turning crust side down (as this tends to burn easily). Whisk sugar, milk, whipping cream, vanilla, eggs and cinnamon in a bowl until blended. Pour over bread mixture. Place baking dish in 4 inch-deep baking pan. Add water to reach halfway up side of baking dish. Bake for 1 hour. Remove from water bath. Let stand for 20 minutes. Serve while still warm. Spoon into dessert bowls. Drizzle each serving with warm Ol’ Southern Plantation Praline Sauce. Top with whipped cream and add a scoop of ice cream if desired. Heat 1 cup butter in large saucepan (mixture will foam over) until melted. Add pecans and mix well. Bring to a boil. Cook until pecans begin to change color. Add remaining 1 cup butter and mix well to cool pecan mixture and stop cooking process. Remove from heat. Combine brown sugar, whipping cream and cinnamon in saucepan and mix well. Cook over low heat until blended, stirring constantly. Increase heat. Cook to 230°F on a candy thermometer. Stir in pecan mixture. Add sour cream and vanilla and mix well. Remove from heat. Yields 4 cups.