Cajun country Bread Pudding with Rum Sauce & Soft Cream

Pour 7 tablespoons butter into a 9" x 13" baking pan; swirl it around to coat bottom and sides. Pour excess butter and additional 1/4 cup butter into a small bowl; set aside. Place bread cubes in buttered baking dish; set aside. In a large bowl, beat eggs and sugar with an electric mixer until thickened and light lemon-coloured, 3 to 4 minutes. Add vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon, milk, raisins, coconut, pecans and reserved butter; beat on low speed to combine. Pour liquid over bread in baking dish; stir to distribute nuts, coconut and raisins evenly. Set pan aside until bread has absorbed all of liquid, 30 to 45 minutes. Press bread down into liquid often to cover all cubes with liquid. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake in preheated oven until crusty and golden brown on top, 45 to 60 minutes. While pudding is baking, prepare Rum Sauce and Soft Cream. Cool bread pudding to lukewarm. When bread pudding has cooled, slice into squares. Place a spoonful of rum sauce in botttom of each serving bowl; add a square of bread pudding. Top with a generous dollop of cream. Using an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar mixture until light and fluffy. Put mixture in top of a double boiler over simmering water; cook 20 minutes, whisking often. The mixture should be silky smooth and light in colour. Whisk 2 tablespoons hot butter mixture into beaten eggs, then 2 tablespoons more. Whisk warmed egg mixture slowly into remaining butter mixture. Cook mixture over barely simmering water until thickened, 4 to 5 minutes, whisking constantly. Cool slightly; whisk in rum. Sauce may be kept warm over hot water until served. Chill beaters and a medium bowl until very cold. Place all ingredients in bowl; beat with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until soft, loose peaks form, 3 to 4 minutes. The cream should have a slightly runny, cloud-like consistency that softly drapes over the bread pudding. Do not overbeat. Cover tightly and refrigerate until served. Yield: 15 servings