Stollen bread pudding

I made this the other day after discovering some desiccated Christmas Stollen holiday cake purchased by my mother and Kevin at a Munich bakery. Maybe I've never had a proper Stollen, but I'm not completely sure what the fuss is about. Luckily, my years of scientific training have shown me that butterfat and eggs tend to improve everything!

2-3 cups abandoned (and preferably unloved) Stollen, chopped.

2 eggs
1.25 cup whole milk
1/2 cup minced dried cherries
salt
~1.5 tsp mixed nutmeg, cinnamon, cardamom
~2 tsp vanilla extract.
~2 tsp sugar
grated rind of half an orange

One sliced pear (the creepy winter kind that never seem to ripen).

Melt a little bit of butter in an oven-proof pan (I used a cast-iron bread pan, but whatever) and toss in the Stollen; cook until sizzling. Add the cherries, mix, top with pears, press down firmly. Beat everything else together and pour over the Stollen/fruit combo. Bake until not runny in the center, approximately 30 minutes at 375 degrees F. Eat with whipped cream (naturally, I add cognac). I think we will make it again (okay, I admit, so we actually just bought a cheap Stollen for this very purpose), so maybe I will add a picture.