Bread pudding with bourbon sauce recipe comes from New Orleans

When it comes to bread puddings, you can’t beat New Orleans – theirs are among the very best. So when our friend Pepe, who resides in that great city, sent us a recipe for bread pudding topped with a rich bourbon sauce, we were off to find the ingredients.

Sure enough, there in the freezer sat some Italian bread just waiting to be included in a wonderful dessert. As we waited for the bread to thaw, we gathered the other ingredients – sugar, milk, raisins, and pecans, along with the stuff that gives it such a great aroma, the vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg. We found some bourbon to use for the sauce, although we could have subbed some other spirit such as brandy or rum if necessary. Also, we combined the bread, raisins, and pecans in the baking dish before pouring on the liquid.

The result was a nice, puffy, browned pudding that will make a terrific dessert for tonight. In fact, if I were to choose the very best bread pudding of all, this one would rank way at the top of the list. And it has the rich flavor of great bread puddings without all the heavy cream, eggs and high-fat ingredients.

This recipe was adapted by Joe Barkson and posted to his Worldwide Recipes site from a recipe by Paul Prudhomme from his book, "Chef Paul Prudhomme's Louisiana Kitchen." Thanks Pepe for giving us the heads up on this one!

Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce

3 eggs

1 1/4 cups (300 ml) sugar

1 1/2 teaspoon (7 ml) vanilla extract

1 teaspoon (5 ml) freshly ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon (5 ml) ground cinnamon

4 tablespoons (60 ml) butter, melted

2 cups (500 ml) milk

1/2 cup (125 ml) raisins

1/2 cup (125 ml) coarsely chopped pecans

5 cups (1.25 L) very stale French or Italian bread, with crust, cut into cubes

1 recipe bourbon sauce (see below)

Using electric mixer or wire whisk, beat eggs until extremely frothy, about 3 minutes with electric mixer, about 6 by hand. Add remaining ingredients except bread and beat until thoroughly mixed. Place bread cubes in greased oven-proof baking dish and pour egg mixture over them. Toss bread to coat with egg mixture and allow to sit at room temperature for 45 minutes, until virtually all liquid is absorbed. Bake in preheated 300F (150C) for 45 minutes, then raise oven temperature to 424F (220C) and bake an additional 15 to 20 minutes, until pudding is well browned and has puffed up. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature with bourbon sauce. Serves 8.

Bourbon Sauce

1/2 cup (125 ml) butter

1 cup (250 ml) sugar

1 egg, lightly beaten

2-3 tablespoons (30-45 ml) bourbon, brandy, rum, or spirit of your choice

Combine butter, sugar, and egg in small saucepan and cook over low heat, whisking constantly, until mixture thickens - do not boil. Remove from heat and stir in bourbon. Serve immediately or refrigerate and reheat before serving. Makes about 2 cups (500 ml).
(Adapted by Joe Barkson’s recipe site, Worldwide Recipes, from "Chef Paul Prudhomme's Louisiana Kitchen" By Paul Prudhomme.)

Bread pudding is morning glory muffin wannabe

In a creative frame of mind? We had fun today making up a bread pudding version of our favorite breakfast goodie, the Morning Glory Muffin. We took a basic recipe and ran with it, adding golden raisins, coconut, grated carrots, pecans, sunflower seeds, and spices to some leftover whole wheat bread made with honey and oatmeal. We’d made the bread the other day from a recipe in the King Arthur Whole Grain Baking cookbook. (And trust me, this bread is so good, that not much is EVER left over. I’ll post the bread recipe tomorrow in the My Favorite Bread Recipes section of this blog.)

If I say so myself (no modesty genes kicking in here…), this is one of the very best bread puddings I’ve ever had. Do you hear an echo? Have I said this before? You betcha! I plan to enjoy it for dessert tonight, and there’s a good chance I’ll munch on it with my morning coffee tomorrow.

Ingredient details: You can use whatever kind of milk or cream you have on hand. I used one percent milk, and believe it or not, the results were incredibly rich. I’d suggest using a dense bread for this recipe, rather than a soft commercial bread, for a more muffin-like texture.

MORNING GLORY BREAD PUDDING

2 slices dense whole wheat bread or oatmeal bread, buttered and cubed (1-1/2 to 2 cups)
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
1/4 cup peeled and grated carrots
1 tablespoon sunflower seeds
2 large eggs
1-1/2 cups milk
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
Dash salt

In greased or cooking-sprayed 1-1/2-quart baking dish (or square glass pan) combine bread cubes, raisins, coconut, chopped nuts, grated carrots, and sunflower seeds. In medium bowl, whisk together eggs and milk. Add brown sugar, vanilla, spices, and salt; whisk to combine. Pour over bread mixture and press bread down into liquid. Let stand while you preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Bake 45 minutes to 1 hour or until pudding is set. Serves 6 to 9, depending on size of portions. Top with cream cheese icing if desired, or whipped topping of choice.
(Recipe developed by Portia Little © 2009)

Chocolate bread pudding is always in season

So enough of the diet already! We’re sick and tired of watching our calories. We need CHOCOLATE. No frills or fancy stuff. Just any good chocolate will do. Preferably of the darker sweet variety, but hey we’re not picky – we’ll accept whatever falls onto our path. Or candy dish as the case may be.

And a very, although belated, Happy New Year to all my friends in Bread Pudding Land! Thanks so much to all of you who’ve contributed so many wonderful recipes and also made comments. To celebrate the New Year, and also our chocolate craving, here’s a recipe for chocolate bread pudding that swims in a scrumptious bourbon pecan caramel sauce. If we’re going to dive in, this is where we want to be. The pudding has almost a fudge texture. Need we say more?
Thanks to Pepe in New Orleans for suggesting this great bread pudding!

CHOCOLATE BREAD PUDDING WITH BOURBON-PECAN CARAMEL SAUCE

Sauce ingredients:
1-1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1-1/4 cups whipping cream
1 cup chopped pecans, toasted
2 tablespoons bourbon

Pudding ingredients:
2 cups milk (do not use low-fat or nonfat)
2 cups whipping cream
1 cup sugar
8 oz. Scharffen Berger 62% Semisweet Chocolate, chopped
8 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 (1 lb.) unsliced egg bread, crusts removed, trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces

Directions for sauce:
Stir sugar and water in heavy large saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Mix in corn syrup and lemon juice. Increase heat and boil without stirring until syrup turns deep amber, brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush and swirling pan occasionally. Remove from heat. Pour in cream (mixture will bubble up). Stir over low heat until caramel is melted and smooth. Increase heat; boil until sauce is reduced to 1-2/3 cups, stirring often, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat. Mix in pecans and bourbon. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Rewarm before using.)
Directions for pudding:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine milk, cream, and sugar in heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir until sugar dissolves and mixture comes to a boil. Remove from heat. Add chocolate; stir until smooth. Beat eggs and vanilla in large bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in chocolate mixture. Add bread cubes. Let stand until bread absorbs some of custard, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.
Transfer mixture to 13x9x2-inch dish. Cover with foil. Bake until set in center, about 45 minutes. Uncover, cool at least 15 minutes. Serve pudding warm or at room temperature with warm sauce.
(Recipe by Chef Alison Barshak, chef/owner of Alison at Blue Bell, a suburban Philadelphia bistro)

Sourdough bread pudding is topped with warm honey sauce

Mention sourdough bread and you’ve got our attention. It’s one of our all-time favorites. We love it plain with butter, or toasted to go along with our morning coffee. So there’s not usually much left over to play with. When we find a great sounding recipe like this one, however, we put some bread aside to make bread pudding. This recipe comes from Rachel Ray’s collection – you can count on her to come up with tasty offerings that are easy to put together.

It’s a nice, rich dish for cooler weather, studded with chunks of pecans, and topped with a honey/butter sauce that’s accented with cayenne and cinnamon to give it a little kick. Just pull up a chair by the wood stove and dig in.

SOURDOUGH BREAD PUDDING WITH HOT HONEY SAUCE

2 eggs
2 cups milk, at room temp
1 stick, plus 2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups sugar
3-1/2 to 4 cups cubed sourdough bread
1/3 cup chopped pecans
3/4 cup honey
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Dash cayenne pepper
Dash salt
1/2 cup heavy cream

1.Preheat oven to 325°. Using electric mixer, beat eggs, then beat in milk, 2 tablespoons melted butter and vanilla. Gradually add th sugar and mix until dissolved.

2. Place bread cubes in 9-inch round baking dish and pour egg mixture on top. Sprinkle pecans on top and press them into bread. Bake until set, about 50 minutes.

3. A few minutes before pudding is done, in medium saucepan, heat remaining 1 stick melted butter with honey, cinnamon, cayenne and salt over medium heat, whisking to combine. Remove from heat and whisk in cream. Drizzle half of warm honey sauce over bread pudding and serve the rest alongside. Eight servings.
Prep time: 15 minutes. Bake time: 50 minutes.
(Recipe by Robb Walsh, from Every Day with Rachel Ray, April 2007. Photo by John Kernick.)

Stuff your pumpkin with bread pudding made with cranberries and raisins

Pumpkins are everywhere these days, including my front porch where three pumpkins sit – my traditional collection, one for each of my three children.

And in the kitchen we’re contemplating how to use this full-of-flavor vegetable in some favorite dishes – pumpkin soup, pumpkin bread, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin cheesecake, and even pumpkin chocolate chip cookies (thanks Risa for this latter incredibly wonderful recipe!).

Today’s pumpkin recipe involves stuffing this colorful round with a delectable mixture of raisin bread, cranberries, and pecans. Then it’s all topped off with a tempting lemon-vanilla sauce that oozes down the pumpkin. I found the recipe on Myrecipes.com where they featured this dish from Southern Living. You can make this dessert either using one large pumpkin, or as individual servings using one-half-pound pumpkins. Either way, you can count on ‘oohs’ and ‘ahs’ when you bring out this delightful offering that’s perfect for a holiday table.

STUFFED PUMPKIN WITH CRANBERRY-RAISIN BREAD PUDDING

1 (2 1/2- to 3-pound) pumpkin*
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted and divided
2 tablespoons sugar, divided
2 large eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
3/4 cup half-and-half
3/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted
1 (16-ounce) raisin bread loaf, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 cup fresh cranberries

Lemon-Vanilla Sauce (below)

Cut off top of pumpkin, reserving lid with stem. Scoop out pumpkin seeds and pulp, and reserve for another use. Brush inside of pumpkin shell with 1 tablespoon melted butter. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar. Top with lid.
Bake at 350° for 35 minutes.
Brush inside of baked pumpkin shell with 1 tablespoon butter; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar.
Stir together eggs and next 6 ingredients; spoon pudding mixture into a lightly greased 8-inch square pan.
Bake pumpkin and bread pudding at 350° for 25 minutes. Let pumpkin cool; spoon bread pudding evenly into pumpkin shell. Serve with Lemon-Vanilla Sauce.
*Note: For individual servings, substitute 12 (1/2-pound) pumpkins. Scoop out seeds and pulp; sprinkle each pumpkin shell with 1 teaspoon butter and 1 teaspoon sugar, and bake with the bread pudding. (Do not prebake as with the larger pumpkin.) Spoon bread pudding evenly into baked pumpkin shells. Yield: 12 servings.
(Southern Living, October 2002)

Lemon-Vanilla Sauce

1 vanilla bean, split
1 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
2 tablespoons grated lemon rind
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
Cook vanilla bean, water, sugar, cornstarch, and salt in saucepan over medium heat, stirring until smooth and thickened.
Stir in butter and remaining ingredients, and cook until thoroughly heated. Remove vanilla bean. Yield: 1-2/3 cups.
(Southern Living, October 2002)

Pepe's apple bread pudding has New Orleans flavor

When you live in New Orleans, you have to love bread pudding. One of our Internet friends, Pepe, so enjoys the wonderful bread puddings there, that he’s been inspired to develop his own versions. Today’s recipe, his latest creation, he describes as “awesome.” His wife agrees and wants to make this dish part of their permanent collection.

“This bread pudding is so delicious you do not need the sauce,” says Pepe. He doesn’t always make the rum sauce, but that is an option. He advises letting the bread get stale for a couple of days before cutting it up for bread pudding. “I find it absorbs the milk/eggs mixture better. I also like to press it down once it is all combined so it absorbs the eggs and milk well,” says Pepe.

And while he uses Washington Delicious apples in his pudding, there are many other choices, depending on what’s available in your area. One of our local apple growers here in Rhode Island suggests using a combination of different apples in baked dishes. Among the apple varieties that bake up well are Baldwins, Golden Delicious, Jonathans, Macouns, Pippins, and Rhode Island Greenings. Just to name a few. I like to choose whatever's in my fridge and take it from there.

Here’s Pepe’s recipe. Thanks for sharing!

PEPE’S APPLE BREAD PUDDING WITH RUM SAUCE

1/2 cup raisins
4 ounces rum
1-1/2 loaf of French bread, cut into cubes
2 Washington Delicious apples, peeled, cored, and diced
2 ounces slivered almonds
2 ounces diced pecans
7 large eggs, beaten
2 cups sugar
3 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 12-ounce can evaporated milk
1 14-ounce can condensed milk
1 stick butter, melted

Place raisins in rum overnight; they will swell up and get nice and juicy. Pull raisins and reserve the rum.
I use a Pyrex baking dish, about 11 X 16, sprayed with butter. Spread cut-up bread cubes to cover entire dish. Sprinkle apples, raisins, almonds, and pecans all over bread.
In large bowl, combine eggs with sugar and mix well. Add milk, cinnamon, and vanilla and mix well. Add evaporated and condensed milk and mix until well combined. Add reserved rum and butter and blend well.
Wash and dry the orange. Rasp the orange peel (orange only not the white) and pour into mixture. Squeeze juice of the orange and pour into mixture. Mix it all well.
Pour egg mixture over bread cubes. Be sure to cover it all. Let it sit for about 30 minutes.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes or until a fork inserted comes out dry. DO NOT OVERCOOK!!!! !!!
© 2008 recipe by Pepe of New Orleans.

Rum Sauce:
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup evaporated milk
4 tablespoons rum
Combine butter, flour, and sugar in saucepan. Cook over medium heat until it thickens. Remove from heat and add rum. Serve warm over bread pudding.

Apple bread pudding is North Carolina festival winner

The apple festival is a delicious rite of autumn. And in fact, in Henderson, NC, one of the largest apple-producing counties in the United States, they have an apple festival each year. It goes on for three days, with a parade, grand marshal, apple queen, arts and crafts booths, and many food vendors. The works.

Every year too their local newspaper holds an apple recipe contest. This year Jay Farris won a prize for his apple bread pudding, which is brimming with Granny Smith apples and toasted pecans. And to top off that mouth-watering combo, he created a delectable sauce that’s flavored with apple juice and Calvados apple brandy.

Thanks to my friends on the AkaFallsInn_Hawaii Internet group for contributing this recipe – list owner Sonia Martinez of Hawaii, and Mary-Anne Durkee of California. They know a good recipe when they see one.

I can just imagine curling up by the fire on a cool fall evening with a big bowl of this pudding. It doesn’t get much better.

WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA APPLE BREAD PUDDING
(Prize winner in Western North Carolina apple recipe contest)

2 cups granulated sugar
5 large eggs, beaten
2 cups milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups or 4 slices Fireside Restaurant bread (a local restaurant), or other white bread, toasted and cubed
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup chopped and toasted pecans
1 cup peeled and diced WNC Granny Smith apples
For the sauce:
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup WNC apple juice
1 egg, beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup Calvados apple brandy (sub apple juice for no alcohol)
1 decoratively-sliced WNC apple (without the peel) for garnish

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease 10-by-10 or 9-by-13 inch pan. Mix together granulated sugar, eggs and milk in a bowl, then add vanilla. Combine chopped apples and stir well. Pour over cubed bread and let sit for 10 to 30 minutes (or until thoroughly absorbed).
In another bowl, mix and crumble together brown sugar, butter and chopped pecans. Pour bread mixture into prepared pan. Sprinkle brown sugar mixture over the top and bake for 35 to 50 minutes, or until firm or set. Remove from oven.
Sauce: Mix together granulated sugar, apple juice, butter, egg and vanilla in saucepan over medium heat. When simmering, add sliced decorative WNC apple slices. Add Calvados (or apple juice), stirring well. Reduce to about 1/2 cup of liquid and then pour over bread pudding. Serve warm or cold.
(Recipe 2008 from Jay Farris, Hendersonville, NC)

Bread pudding "pears" with pecans for breakfast

Knowing I had to get away at the crack of dawn the other day, I needed to plan a breakfast that would take a minimum of effort. Bearing in mind that I’m usually comatose before my a.m. java ingestion takes effect. Cold cereal? No way.

I consulted with my kitchen companion and culinary advisor, Spooky the tuxedo cat, who pointed to the remains of some great Italian bread on the kitchen counter that had come from our open hearth wood-fired bakery in town. Aha! With creative juices flowing, I added chunks of the bread to a ceramic casserole dish. In the fridge was a lovely Anjou pear, which I chopped up and tossed in with the bread. After pouring on the egg/milk mixture I decided it needed a crunch factor, so I topped it all with some whole Georgia pecans.

I’d added pears to a bread pudding only once before and had forgotten how wonderful they can be – more subtle than tangy apples and with a delicate sweetness. You don’t even need to peel them, which is a plus too. Breakfast hasn’t been that good in a long time. Well, uh, since I had my last breakfast bread pudding!

PEAR PECAN BREAD PUDDING

1-1/2 cups dry Italian bread, town into pieces
1 small firm pear, unpeeled, diced (about 3/4 cup)
2 large eggs
1 cup whole milk, or half & half, or heavy cream
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup (about) pecans – in large chunks or kept whole
2 tablespoons butter, melted
Sugar/cinnamon

Spray ceramic baking dish with cooking spray. Toss in bread pieces and diced pears. In medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk or cream, brown sugar, and vanilla. Pour liquid over bread/pear mixture. Top with pecans, drizzle with melted butter, and sprinkle with sugar/cinnamon. Let sit about 1/2 hour. Bake in 350-degree F. oven for 45-60 minutes or until puffed and browned on top. Serves 2-4.
© 2008, Recipe by Portia Little.

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.