Celebrate National Amaretto Day with Bread Pudding

There’s always room for one more celebration. And how many of you know that today, April 19, is National Amaretto Day?

In honor of this illustrious occasion, let’s raise our glasses to toast this almond-flavored liqueur, and also to create a fragrant Amaretto sauce to serve over bread pudding. Here are some easy sauce recipes that you can make ahead and keep in the fridge to heat up later and ladle over a favorite bread pudding. The flavor of Amaretto is especially good over bread puddings containing a little chocolate, or some cherries, golden raisins, or raspberries. It’s also delicate enough to enhance a rather plain bread pudding - nice for dessert on a warm spring evening.

We’ve also included a bread pudding that’s flavored with almond extract, in case you’d like to add to your growing collection of BP recipes.

AMARETTO SAUCE FOR BREAD PUDDING

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup Amaretto liqueur

In saucepan, on low heat, stir together butter, buttermilk, and sugar until sugar dissolves. Combine cornstarch with Amaretto; add to pan. Heat, stirring, until mixture comes to a boil and thickens slightly. Makes about 1 cup sauce.

AMARETTO BREAD PUDDING with SAUCE

(Pudding)
1 loaf French bread (10-ounce), about 5 cups
1 quart (4 cups) half & half
Butter to grease pan
4 large eggs
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons almond extract
3/4 cup golden raisins
3/4 cup sliced almonds

(Amaretto Sauce)
1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 eggs, beaten
4 tablespoons Amaretto liqueur

For pudding, cut bread into 1/2-inch cubes. Place in large bowl and cover with half & half; let stand 1 hour. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Butter 9x13-inch baking pan. In separate bowl, beat eggs, sugar, and almond extract together. Stir into bread mixture. Fold in raisins and almonds. Spread evenly in baking pan. Bake about 50 minutes. Remove and cool.
For sauce, stir together butter and sugar until hot and butter melts. Remove from heat. Whisk eggs into butter/sugar mixture. Add liqueur.
Serve pudding at room temperature topped with sauce and whipped cream, if desired. Makes 12-15 servings.