Star Anise Bread Pudding

Ingredients

• 2 cups whole milk
• 6 star anise
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons chopped crystallized ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 12 (1-ounce) slices cinnamon-raisin bread, cut into 1-inch pieces
• Cooking spray
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 1/4 cups vanilla reduced-fat ice cream (such as Healthy Choice)

Preparation

1. Combine the milk and star anise in a small, heavy saucepan. Heat to 180° or until tiny bubbles form around edge of pan, stirring frequently (do not boil). Remove from heat; cover and steep 20 minutes. Strain milk mixture through a fine sieve into a large bowl; discard star anise. Add 1/2 cup sugar, ginger, cinnamon, and eggs; stir with a whisk. Gently stir in bread. Let stand 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Preheat oven to 350°.
3. Pour into an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle the mixture evenly with 1 tablespoon sugar. Bake at 350° for 35 minutes or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean. Serve each piece warm with 1/4 cup ice cream.