Bread pudding
- Serving Size: 4-6
- Preparation Time: 15 minutes
- Total Cooking time: about 60 minutes
This is probably one of my favorite desserts, rich and yet not too sweet. It is also a classic comfort food for me, being something my mother would make around this time of year when she started baking more and more often than not she would use a loaf of home made bread that she had baked up herself. You can use just about any sweet, firm textured white bread but some of my favorites are the Jewish style Challah , leftover cinnamon rolls, or for an extra decadent touch a light and airy Brioche. Each one of these brings its own signature touch to this recipe. Try this with a simple mixture of some Bourbon or Cognac whisked into melted butter and sugar drizzled over the top.
| Amount | Measure | Ingredients |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | cups | chopped sweet white bread such as Hawaiian or cinnamon rolls |
| 4 | cups | milk |
| 5 | eggs | |
| 1/4 | cup | sugar |
| 2 | tsp | vanilla extract |
| 1 | tsp | cinnamon (omit if using cinnamon rolls) |
| 3/4 | cup | raisins plumped in ¼ cup warm brandy |
| 1/2 | cup | honey |
| Pinch salt | ||
| 1 | Pinch nutmeg to taste |
| Amount | Measure | Ingredients |
|---|---|---|
| 1/2 | cup | unsalted butter |
| 1/2 | cup | sugar |
| 2 | oz | cognac, bourbon, or brandy |
To prepare:
Whisk the milk, eggs, sugar vanilla extract and honey together until well blended. Drain the brandy from the raisins into the custard mix then combine the bread and raisins together in a lightly greased deep sided 9×13 baking dish. Pour the custard mixture over the bread and raisins and mix gently, taking care not to break the bread up too much. Place the baking dish in a larger container with at least 1″ of water and bake at 350 1 hour or until knife inserted in middle comes out clean. Remove from the oven to cool slightly and while it cools prepare the brandy butter sauce by melting the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Whisk in the sugar and liquor stirring together 5 minutes or so until the butter and sugar are emulsified taking care not to overheat the mixture causing it it “break”. To serve place scoop of the bread pudding in a bowl with a spoonful of vanilla ice cream and drizzle the butter sauce over the top of both.
