Old-fashioned desserts are making a comeback, but Ruth’s Chris has always believed that when it comes to dessert, simple is best. Whether you enjoy the New Orleans-style comfort of traditional bread pudding with whiskey sauce, a rich and creamy cheesecake with graham cracker crust, or the unadulterated flavors of fresh seasonal berries with sweet cream, there’s something for everyone to cap off the perfect steakhouse dining experience.

Bread Pudding

2  8-ounce loaves French bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, toasted
1 quart milk (may use 2 percent)
1 quart half-and-half
12 eggs, beaten (may use egg substitute)
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
2 sticks sweet butter (may use less)
1 cup raisins
1 apple, peeled, cored and diced into 1/2-inch pieces
1 tablespoon cinnamon1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
pinch salt
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons bourbon
vanilla ice cream

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Combine sugars and divide in half. Add cinnamon, eggs, vanilla, bourbon, and salt to half of the sugar. In a saucepan, combine milk, half-and-half, and butter with the other half of the sugar and bring to a boil. Whisk milk mixture into egg mixture; add raisins and apples.

Add bread cubes and let stand until soaked through to center. Stir in a few raisins from the bottom and sprinkle a few on top. Pour into buttered baking dish (10 by 13 by

3 inches) and bake at 375 degrees F

for 45 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream. Makes 12 hearty portions.