With the holiday season upon us, I decided it was time to try out a new dessert recipe. Considering the holidays are a time of age-old traditions, I was inspired with the idea of bread pudding.
Bread pudding (also known as poor man’s pudding) was originally made hundreds of years ago as a way for cooks to use stale bread and make it into an appetizing dessert by adding some variation of an egg, cream, and sugar mixture. It was particularly popular in the US during the Civil War, even when soldiers would often substitute crackers for bread and sweeteners were hard to come by. Maybe it’s the nerd in me, but I can’t help but get excited about a dessert with history.
Today, however, I don’t make bread pudding out of necessity, but rather because I can’t resist its sweet, rich flavor and texture. With a caramel rum sauce on top, I’m in heaven. When you try this, you will be, too.
Prep Time: 20 min
Bake Time: 40 min
Total Time: 60 min
Servings: 16
Ingredients:
3 cups cubed cinnamon bread
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
1 ¼ teaspoons vanilla
1 cup of half and half
½ cup sugar
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
For the topping:
¼ stick unsalted butter (room temperature)
¼ cup brown sugar
Directions:
1. If you’re using fresh bread, the night before you plan on making the bread pudding, prepare about three cups of cubed bread and allow to sit out overnight, so that the bread will become stale.
Photo by Alison Mally
2. When you are ready to start making the pudding, preheat the oven to 350°F, and prepare your ceramic baking pan by spreading a small pat of butter along all the surface of the pan. An easy way to do this is by using the butter wrapper.
Photo by Alison Mally
3. Place the stale bread cubes in the pan.
Photo by Alison Mally
4. In a large bowl, crack 2 eggs, and separate a third so that you only add the yolk.
Photo by Alison Mally
5. Add the half and half, vanilla, cinnamon, regular sugar, and brown sugar into the bowl containing the eggs, then whisk until you have a creamy, frothy, yellowish mixture.
Photo by Alison Mally
Photo by Alison Mally
6. Carefully pour the liquid mixture over the bread cubes in the pan, making sure to evenly soak all of the bread pieces. Use a spatula to press down on the cubes to make sure they are all thoroughly soaked.
Photo by Alison Mally
7. Allow to sit and soak for ten minutes. (This is the perfect time to make your topping!)
8. To make your topping, chop up the softened butter into smaller pieces, then place in a food processor with the brown sugar. Blend until you get a consistent, smooth, butter-sugar paste.
Photo by Alison Mally
9. After the ten minutes are up, place the topping all over the top of the pan.
10. Bake for 40 minutes. When the bread pudding is ready, the center should be set, and not jiggly.
11. Enjoy!
Photo by Alison Mally
Need more bread pudding in your life? Check out these recipes: