White chocolate bread pudding New Orleans style is a Palace Cafe tradition

What better way to wind up this holiday weekend than with one incredible bread pudding! And it’s from a place where bread pudding reigns supreme – New Orleans. This family specialty, definitely not your ‘usual’ offering, is a featured dessert at the acclaimed Palace Café, located on historic Canal Street. The Brennan family shares their recipe for White Chocolate Bread Pudding in their cookbook, Palace Café: The Flavor of New Orleans.

We thank Pepe, who gets to enjoy New Orleans cuisine every day in that “kingdom of great food,” for alerting us to this outstanding recipe.

As for calories? Don’t even think about it!

WHITE CHOCOLATE BREAD PUDDING
(from Palace Café: The Flavor of New Orleans)
12 Servings

6 cups whipping cream
2 cups milk
1 cup sugar
20 ounces white chocolate (broken into small pieces)
4 each whole eggs
15 each egg yolks
24-inch loaf French bread (use stale bread)
For White Chocolate Sauce:
8 ounces white chocolate (broken into small pieces)
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 ounce dark chocolate (grated for garnish)

To Prepare Bread Pudding: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large saucepan, heat the whipping cream, milk, and sugar over medium heat. When hot, take off the heat and add the white chocolate pieces; stir until melted. Combine the whole eggs and egg yolks in a large bowl. Slowly pour the hot cream mixture into the eggs in a steady stream, whipping the eggs as you pour. Place the stale sliced bread in the pan. Pour 1/2 the bread pudding mix over the bread. Use your fingers to press the bread into the mix so that it absorbs the liquid and becomes soggy. Pour in the remaining mix. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and continue to bake for 1/2 hour until it is set and golden brown.
To Prepare Sauce: Bring the cream to a boil in a small sauce pan. Take off the heat and add white chocolate; stir until smooth and completely melted. Spoon over bread pudding.
To Serve: Serve the bread pudding warm, spooned right out of the pan with the sauce and chocolate sprinkles on top.