Almond Bread Pudding with Salted Caramel Sauce

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Spread out almonds on a rimmed bakingsheet; toast, tossing halfway through, untilbeginning to brown, 12-15 minutes.

Let cool.

Transfer cooled almonds to a foodprocessor.

Add butter, almond extract, ifusing, and salt, and process until mixtureis the texture of coarsely ground peanutbutter. Set aside.

Whisk sugar, cream oftartar, and 3 tablespoons water in a mediumsaucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-highheat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Cook,without stirring, until mixture beginsto caramelize in spots. Using a heatproofspatula, stir mixture to ensure evencaramelization. Cook, stirring occasionally,until mixture is the color of honey, 10-12minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low andcontinue to cook, stirring occasionally,until caramel is a deep amber color, about5 minutes longer.

Remove caramel from heat; carefullywhisk in butter (mixture will bubblevigorously), then cream and salt.

Let coolslightly in pan, then pour into a small bowl.DO AHEAD: Caramel sauce can be made2 weeks ahead.

Let cool completely,cover, and chill. Rewarm before using.

Combine half-and-half and cream in a medium saucepan.Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; addbean. Bring to a simmer over medium-highheat; remove from heat.

Whisk egg yolks, eggs, sugar, and saltin a medium bowl to blend. Graduallywhisk hot cream mixture into egg mixture.Cover custard with plastic wrap and letstand for 30 minutes for flavors to meld.Strain custard into a large bowl; discardvanilla bean.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter cake pan;set aside. Using biscuit cutter, cut outcircles from each slice of bread, reservingscraps. Arrange bread scraps in pan in aneven layer and press lightly to compact.

Spread each bread round with almondbutter (you will have a little left over; save tospread on toast for breakfast).

Place all but1 bread round almond butter side down inpan (on top of scraps), overlapping slightlyto create a shingled circle.

Place the lastround in the center (bread will come about3/4"-1" above rim of pan).

Pour custard evenly over bread.

Sprinklewith almonds and raw sugar.

Place cake pan in a large roasting pan.

Pour hot water into roasting pan to comehalfway up the sides of cake pan. Coverroasting pan with foil, tenting slightly incenter if needed to avoid touching bread.

Bake pudding until top no longer jigglesbut center is not quite set, 25-30 minutes.

Remove foil from pan and increase oventemperature to 375°F.

Bake pudding untilcustard is set in the center and top isgolden brown and crisp, about 25 minuteslonger.

Remove cake pan from roasting pan.

Letcool slightly. Dust pudding with powderedsugar. Slice into wedges.

Place on plates,drizzle caramel sauce over and top witha dollop of crème fraîche.