Panettone Bread Pudding with Lemon Sauce

One of my favorite family traditions was sitting with my mother, drinking some hot tea or coffee and eating slices of Panettone bread with a little cream cheese or butter spread on it.  Every Christmas I am sure you see yellow boxes of Bauducco Panettone in the grocery and big box stores.  It is a wonderfully moist sweet bread or specialty cake filled with raisins and fruit.  If you have never tried it, I highly recommend it.  Don't think it is just another fruit cake; it is a not.  It is great without anything on it, it is great sliced into French toast, and it is great as a bread pudding.  

1 pound Panettone bread, wrapper removed and sliced into 1 inch cubes

4 large eggs

1 1/4 cup whole milk

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 Tablespoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Coat the sides and bottom of 9x12 baking pan with butter.  Place the cubes of bread in the pan.  In a large mixing bowl, add the four eggs and whisk them well.  Then add all other ingredients and whisk for about 3 minutes.  Pour over bread cubes and mash down with spatula to help the bread begin soaking up the liquid.  Let pan set on counter for 5-10 minutes.  Bake for 35-40 minutes.  

Remove from oven.  If the bread pudding has risen in the middle, it is ok.  It will come to rest evenly.  

While the pudding is baking, make your sauce

1 egg, well beaten

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter, not margarine

1/4 cup water

3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Put all ingredients in saucepan over medium high heat.  Stir constantly until mixture comes to a boil.  Continue  to stir boiling mixture for 1 minute.  Remove from heat and let rest 2-5 minutes prior to drizzling over the top of the bread pudding.