Ingredients

• Caramel:
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup water
• Pudding:
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 cups milk
• 3 large Golden Delicious apples peeled, cored, cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds (about 1 1/4 pounds)
• 1 cup sugar
• 6 large eggs
• 18 ounces firm white bread slices, crusts trimmed

Instructions

Caramel: Combine sugar and water in heavy small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and boil without stirring until syrup is deep amber, brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush and swirling pan occasionally, about 10 minutes. Immediately pour caramel into 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Tilt pan to cover bottom with syrup. Cool. Pudding: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add apples and cook until tender and beginning to color, about 4 minutes per side. Arrange half of apples atop caramel in dish. Top apples with half of the bread slices in single layer. Whisk milk, sugar and eggs in large bowl to blend. Pour half of custard over bread. Arrange remaining apples over bread. Top with remaining bread slices in single layer. Pour remaining custard over. Let stand 30 minutes. Bake pudding until custard is set and beginning to brown in places, about 45minutes. Let stand at least 15 minutes. Serve hot or warm.