Praline brunch toast is Mom's Day treat

So what is a “real” bread pudding and “not-quite” a bread pudding? I’d say if it walks like a duck…

Traditional bread puddings have been made with chunks of bread, eggs, a milk product, a sweetener or not, some flavoring, and whatever else suits your fancy – from the ever popular raisins and cinnamon, to more innovative choices such as plums, apricots, and any kind of chocolate your heart desires. Or for a savory bread pudding, some asparagus and Boursin.

And sometimes we don’t chop up the bread, but leave it in slices, such as in today’s recipe for Praline Brunch Toast that I found in the Junior League of Tampa cookbook, The Life of the Party. We’re thinking this would make a wonderful Mother’s Day dish, maybe even for ‘breakfast in bed.’ Just add a small vase of colorful flowers on the breakfast tray, some good coffee, and a few pieces of fresh fruit such as sliced oranges or strawberries for a lovely morning meal.

One of the nice things about this recipe is that you can assemble all the ingredients the night before (and hide them somewhere in the fridge if it’s going to be a surprise), then bake the dish in the morning. I actually make up the entire dish, including the brown sugar-pecan mixture with the bread slices on top, and refrigerate it overnight. Also, it makes a big panful, so there will be enough to go around for the rest of the family too.

Today we’re going to add a new category to the recipes list on the sidebar: “Almost a Bread Pudding,” for those dishes such as this one that contain most of the usual suspects, but with some variation on the bread pudding theme, such as sliced bread instead of cubed.

Here’s to a great Mom’s day celebration!

PRALINE BRUNCH TOAST
(from the Junior League of Tampa cookbook, The Life of the Party)

8 eggs
1-1/2 cups half & half
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
8 thick slices sourdough bread
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup
3/4 cup chopped pecans

Beat eggs and half & half in small bowl. Whisk in 1 tablespoon brown sugar and vanilla. Pour 1/2 of egg mixture into 9x13-inch baking dish. Arrange bread slices in dish, trimming crusts to fit if necessary. Pour remaining egg mixture over bread. Chill, covered, for several hours or overnight.

Melt butter in another 9x13-inch baking dish. Stir in 3/4 cup brown sugar and syrup. Sprinkle pecans over bottom. Place egg-soaked bread slices carefully on top of pecans. Pour remaining egg mixture over bread. Bake in preheated 350-degree-F. oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until bread is light brown and puffed.
To serve, invert toast onto plates and spoon pecans from bottom of dish over the toast. Serves 8.