Panettone Bread Pudding with Orange Spice Sauce

Arrange panettone bread cubes to fit snugly into a buttered 2-quart casserole dish, leaving some space between the cubes for even cooking. Set aside any excess bread cubes.

In a large mixing bowl, combine 3 eggs and 1/2 cup sugar. Whisk the mixture until the sugar is fully incorporated and the eggs are lightened in color, resulting in a pale yellow hue. Gradually pour in 1/2 cup cream, along with 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1 tablespoon orange liqueur. Whisk the mixture until it's well combined. Add a pinch of salt, 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, and the grated zest of 2 lemons; then pour the mixture over the panettone cubes in the casserole dish. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Remove the bread pudding from the refrigerator, uncover it, and dot the top with 2 1/2 tablespoons of butter. Sprinkle a layer of white sugar, about 2 tablespoons, over the top of the pudding.

To ensure even cooking, place the casserole dish into a shallow pan that's 2 to 3 inches larger in diameter than the casserole dish. Fill the outside pan with hot water until it reaches a depth of 1 inch around the casserole dish, creating a protective water bath. Position the pans on the center rack of your preheated oven and bake until the pudding is fully set and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean, taking about 1 to 1 1/4 hours. The water bath will help the pudding maintain its light texture and prevent it from becoming too dense.

Once the bread pudding is done, carefully remove it from the water bath and let it cool for at least 15 minutes before serving. Just before you're ready to serve, prepare the sauce by melting 1/2 cup of butter in a saucepan over low heat. Stir in 1 cup sugar, 1/4 cup orange liqueur, 3 tablespoons water, 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, and a pinch of salt. Continue stirring until the sugar is fully dissolved and the liquid is heated through, then remove from heat.

In a small mixing bowl, whisk 1 egg until it's well beaten. While whisking the egg, slowly pour 2 tablespoons of the hot sauce mixture into the bowl with the egg. Then, while whisking the mixture vigorously, slowly pour the warmed egg mixture back into the saucepan. Place the saucepan back over low heat and gently stir the sauce, gradually increasing the temperature to medium. Continue stirring until the sauce almost reaches a simmer, reducing the heat as necessary if it threatens to boil. Continue stirring until the sauce thickens, taking about 1 to 2 minutes. Spoon the sauce over the bread pudding and serve immediately.