• 6 cups day-old French bread cubes (½ inch)
• 1 medium apple, peeled, chopped
• 3 eggs
• 1½ cups milk
• 1 13.4-ounce can Mexican caramel spread (dulce de leche)
• 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
• ¼ cup sugar
• ¼ cup dry roasted peanuts
• 1 cup thawed Cool Whip whipped topping

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Toss bread and apples in large bowl; set aside. Place eggs, milk, dulce de leche and cream cheese in blender; cover. Blend until smooth. Pour over bread mixture; toss to coat. Spoon into lightly greased 13-inch-by-9-inch baking dish.
2. Bake 45 min. or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, to prepare peanut brittle, cook sugar in small nonstick skillet on medium-high heat until golden brown. Stir in peanuts. Pour onto foil-covered baking sheet. Carefully separate hot candy into individual peanuts with back of spoon. Cool completely.
4. Serve pudding warm topped with the whipped topping and peanut brittle. Store leftover dessert in refrigerator.

12 servings

Make Ahead

Assemble pudding as directed; cover and refrigerate up to 8 hours. When ready to serve, uncover and bake as directed.

Cooking Know-How

Leaving the crust on bread gives bread pudding a golden brown color and a slight crunchiness. Some people prefer to remove the crust for a softer and smoother mouth feel. Both ways are delicious!