vanilla-recipes

French Bread Pudding

Steve Dias

Tags bread pudding, dessert, recipe, vanilla

Bread Pudding Recipe

    Makes 6-8 servings

     Ingredients
    1 stick unsalted butter, softened
    1 cup sugar
    5 eggs, beaten
    1 pint (16 oz.) heavy cream (I use regular cream)
    1 tablespoon vanilla extract Or scrape the seeds and pulp from of two vanilla beans
    dash cinnamon
    1/4 cup raisins (optional)
    12 slices stale or fresh French bread, sliced one inch thick (about one loaf)
 
    Heat oven to 350 degrees.

    In a large bowl, mix butter and sugar until creamy with mixer.

   Add eggs, cream, vanilla and cinnamon and beat until thoroughly combined.

   Stir in optional raisins.

   Place sliced bread in 9-inch square buttered glass baking dish.

   Pour in liquid mixture on bread. Let stand a few minutes to soak. 

Carefully turn slices over and let stand a few more minutes to soak. Push down bread, if needed, to submerge. Add a little extra cream, if needed, to cover bread, by pouring
   evenly over surface; it does not have to be perfectly mixed.
   Set pan in larger pan; pour water into larger pan to 1/4 inch from top. Cover with foil.
   Bake 35 minutes.
   Remove foil and bake 10 minutes or so longer, until top is lightly browned and pudding is       soft.
   
   Top with Whiskey Sauce, if desired.

   Whiskey Sauce
   Makes 1 1/2 cups

   1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
   1 cup heavy cream
   1 cup sugar
   pinch cinnamon
   1 tablespoon unsalted butter
   1 tablespoon bourbon or other whiskey

    In small bowl, dissolve cornstarch in 1/4 cup very warm to hot water.

In medium saucepan combine remaining ingredients and bring to boil over high heat.

Cook, stirring constantly, until  sugar  is dissolved - about 3 minutes.

Stir in cornstarch mixture.

Cook, stirring constantly, until sauce thickens - about 3 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in bourbon whiskey.

 

Courtesy of Dwight H. - adapted from original recipe from The Baltimore Sun