Cranberry Winter Pudding

Directions

1. 1
   In a saucepan combine the cranberries, the pear, the brown sugar, the dried fruit, the zest, the cinnamon stick, the cranberry juice cocktail, the vanilla, and a pinch of salt and simmer the mixture for 10 minutes.
2. 2
   Strain the mixture through a sieve into a bowl, reserving the solids, and transfer the cranberry liquid to a shallow dish.
3. 3
   Line a 1 1/2-quart souffle dish with plastic wrap and trim enough of the bread slices to cover the bottom and the side of the dish.
4. 4
   Soak the trimmed slices in the cranberry liquid and line the bottom and the side of the souffle dish with them.
5. 5
   Discard the zest and the cinnamon stick from the reserved cranberry solids and add the solids to the souffle dish.
6. 6
   Trim enough of the remaining bread slices to cover the cranberry solids, soak the trimmed slices in the cranberry liquid, and top the cranberry solids with them.
7. 7
   Cover the pudding with plastic wrap, put a plate on top of the plastic wrap, and weight the pudding with three 1-pound cans.
8. 8
   Chill the pudding, weighted, for at least 12 hours and up to 1 day.
9. 9
   Invert the pudding onto a serving plate, discarding the plastic wrap, and serve it, cut into wedges, with the whipped cream.