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(Semi) Healthy Caramel Apple Bread Pudding

Today it is a freezing cold 89 degrees in Dallas, so I decided to warm up with my first autumnal-smelling dessert. If you know anything about fall and how it hasn't started until you've seen the annual October cover of Martha Stewart Living at the grocery store, then you know that autumnal desserts basically boil down to any of the following ingredients combined:
Pumpkin, apple, caramel, and/or buttermilk. The recipe below contains all of the above ingredients (I'm lying a little, it's only pumpkin pie spice, not pumpkin). AND despite it's title, I did a bit of tweaking and lightened up the recipe. After eating a small bite bowl nearly 1/3 of the pan, I can say it tastes every bit as good as something with tons of butta butta buttaaaa in it. For those who want to get as fat as humanly possible, I applaud you, and have therefore put into parentheses the healthier option.

Caramel Apple Bread Pudding Recipe:

Ingredients:
5-6 cups French bread (I used 5 bottoms of whole wheat english muffins)
3 whole apples, peeled and chopped
4 eggs
3 egg yolks
1 1/2 cups milk (I used skim)
1 1/2 cups heavy cream (I used greek yogurt)
3/4 cups brown sugar
1/4 cups sugar (I used beet sugar)
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp pumpkin pie seasoning
1 tbsp butter, chopped
 
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.
Lightly grease or spray a 9×13″ baking dish with cooking spray
Toss together the bread cubes and the apple pieces in the baking dish
In a large bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients except for the butter.
Pour the mixture over the bread and apple mixture
Make sure each piece of bread is soaking in part of the egg and milk mixture. Allow to stand for 15 minutes MINIMUM
When the egg/milk mixture has mostly soaked into the bread, dab the butter over the bread and place the baking dish in the preheated oven and bake for 40-50 minutes or until the center is set.
Remove from oven and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Cut into pieces and serve with warm buttermilk caramel syrup.
 
Buttermilk Caramel Syrup:

Ingredients:
3/4 cups buttermilk (I used 3/4 cup unsweetened rice milk with 1 tbsp lemon juice added)
1 1/2 cup sugar (I used beet sugar)
1 stick real butter
2 tbsp light corn syrup
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp vanilla

Directions:
Put all the ingredients EXCEPT vanilla into a cooking pot that is far too large for the ingredients (this stuff nearly triples in size as you make it). Bring to a boil and then turn the heat down to medium-low and let it bubble for 8-9 more minutes. This is kind of like making candy, so be sure to stir as often as possible and keep an eye on it! As is the case with making anything caramel-y, I think it helps to let it bubble for a few seconds, turn a little darker brown, and then stir. Constant stirring makes it harder to tell when the color is changing to darker and more syrupy. After it has reached a beautiful caramel color, remove pot from the heat and add vanilla. Stir vigorously and then let it sit. Pour it on anything. Pour it on an old shoe. I dare you to not want to eat it with everything!

Enjoy!!!
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