Pudding her in a great mood

With Mother's Day approaching, celebrate another important twosome in your life: you and your mom.

Show her your appreciation - along with assurances you haven't starved since you left home - by preparing a brunch.

Include fresh fruit and a few asparagus in the menu so mom knows you're getting your vitamins. Maybe whole grains will assuage her concerns as well.

For example, start with a fruit cup of sliced strawberries and orange segments. Move to an asparagus and prosciutto salad. Add bran or oatmeal muffins and you've made mom's day.

Then, once you've satisfied mom on the basics, pull out all the stops and dazzle her with a rich, indulgent variation on that mom staple: bread pudding.

To start, this version uses chocolate-filled croissants in place of bread. Two croissants from your favorite bakery will do. But make your purchase a day in advance so the croissants become slightly stale and less leaden in the pudding.

Add dried cherries, soaked in kirsch, a clear cherry brandy, along with sliced almonds. If mom really loves chocolate (though not as well as you, of course), stir a handful of chocolate chips into the mixture.

The Chocolate Cherry Bread Pudding may be assembled a day in advance, refrigerated and baked an hour before serving.

Chocolate Cherry Bread Pudding

Makes 2 to 4 servings.

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 1 hour

1⁄4 cup dried, sweetened cherries

2 tablespoons kirsch

2 eggs, beaten

1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup milk

1⁄2 cup sugar

1⁄4 teaspoon salt

2 large chocolate-filled croissants, torn into bite-size pieces (about 4 cups)

1⁄4 cup sliced almonds

Combine cherries and kirsch in a cup. Set aside for 10 minutes for cherries to soak.

Meanwhile combine eggs, vanilla, cream, milk, sugar and salt in a bowl. Stir in cherries and kirsch. Add croissants and mix well.

Immediately pour into a well-buttered 2- to 3-quart glass baking dish. Sprinkle almonds on top. Bake in preheated 325-degree oven for 50 to 60 minutes, or until pudding is set.

Note: Unless mom has a huge appetite, you'll have leftovers. Refrigerate the remaining bread pudding. Heat for 30 seconds in the microwave to warm before serving. For sumptuous excess, drizzle chocolate sauce over the warm leftovers.

Each serving (1 of 4) has: 565 calories, 55 grams total fat; 9 grams protein; 50 grams carbohydrates; 212 milligrams cholesterol; 320 milligrams sodium and 0.5 grams dietary fiber.