Cranberry Bread Pudding

In 2-quart saucepan, bring dried cranberries and 3/4 cup water to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 10 minutes, or until cranberries are tender.

Meanwhile, grease shallow 3-quart casserole dish. Cut bread into 1-inch-thick slices.

With wire whisk or fork, mix milk, brown sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, orange zest, egg whites and eggs in a very large bowl until well blended. Drain cranberries, adding liquid to egg mixture, whisking well. Set cranberries aside. Let bread slices sit for 10 minutes in egg mixture, turning them carefully now and then so they soak evenly.

Preheat oven to 350-degree F. Arrange a layer of bread slices in casserole dish, pushing them together until they cover bottom of dish. Sprinkle all but 1/4 cup cranberries over bread. Lay remaining bread, overlapping slices to fit, on top. Pour any egg mixture left in bowl over bread in casserole dish.

Bake 1 hour and 30 minutes, or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cover pudding loosely with foil during last 10 to 15 minutes of baking if top is browning too quickly. Top with remaining cranberries and sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar, if desired. Serve warm, or refrigerate to serve cold later.