Pear Coffee Cake Bread Pudding
Makes 6 to 8 servings
1 (21-ounce) box cinnamon swirl crumb cake and muffin mix*
2 cups half-and-half
¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup butter
6 small pears, peeled, halved, and cored
1. Bake crumb cake mix according to package directions for cake. Let cool completely. Cut into 1-inch pieces.
2. Preheat oven to 375°.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together half-and-half, ¾ cup sugar, eggs, ginger, and vanilla until smooth.
4. Spray a 13x9-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Add cake pieces. Pour half-and-half mixture all over cake pieces, and let stand for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add pears, cut side down; cook until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Place pears, cut side up, on cake mixture, pressing to adhere.
