Preheat oven to 350 degrees then butter a 2-qt or an 8" x 8" casserole dish. Place cubed bread into a large bowl then set aside. In a separate bowl, beat together the eggnog, eggs, brown sugar, cinnamon and vanilla until completely combined and the sugar has dissolved.

Pour eggnog mixture over bread cubes then toss lightly to coat. Spoon bread into prepared casserole dish then drizzle with melted butter. Bake 30–35 minutes or until the custard has set and the top just begins to turn golden brown. Remove from oven then set aside to cool while you prepare the sauce.

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together egg yolks, sugar, vanilla and salt until blended and smooth. Add heavy cream to a small saucepan then place over medium-low heat until steaming, but not boiling.

Whisk egg yolk mixture and begin slowly drizzling in ½ cup of the hot cream. Do not rush this process, and be sure to whisk constantly. The point is to slowly warm the egg yolks without cooking them. Once half of the cream is blended into the egg yolk mixture it should be safe to pour in the remaining cream while still whisking. Blend everything thoroughly then return the entire mixture to saucepan.

Place saucepan over medium-low heat and cook the vanilla sauce, stirring constantly, until it thickens to the point that it will coat the back of a spoon. The sauce will be done just before it begins to bubble, so if you see a bubble form, you know it’s ready. Serve the sauce warm, or at room temperature drizzled over a nice thick slice of the eggnog bread pudding. Enjoy!