A month ago or so, my sister had a disaster with an order she had placed at a bakery in Seattle. She had wanted nice square Pullman loaves of bread to make tea sandwiches for our niece's bridal shower. Instead, she got big, bulky loaves of brioche which wouldn't do at all. Because of this error, I was the lucky recipient of 3 of these loaves. Who am I to turn down wonderful, eggy, buttery brioche bread?
I brought it home from Seattle and immediately cut it into cubes and stashed it in the freezer to deal with at a later date. I had thought of saving them for Thanksgiving stuffing and of course, bread pudding. Who doesn't love bread pudding? Well The Husband for one....but he can't be pleased all of the time. I find it to be such a wonderful combination of all things good; bread, raisins, custard, cinnamon. It's right up there and very similar to rice pudding on the comfort food scale. After making this dish, I decided to take up to another level and made a creme anglaise to pour over. 
Bread Pudding 4 cups bread cubes (bite size pieces)
2 large eggs
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp cinnamon
2 Tbsp melted and cooled butter
2 cups half and half, whole milk, or a combination of both
3/4 cup raisins (any dried fruit will work)
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Butter a baking dish and set the dish into a larger roasting pan that has enough room to fill with hot water.
With an electric mixer, beat the eggs and sugar on high speed until thick and lemon colored (about 4-5 minutes so that when beater is raised the batter will ball back into the bowl in a slow ribbon.) Beat in the vanilla extract and cinnamon. Then beat in the melted and cooled butter and milk.
Place the bread cubes and raisins in the baking dish. Carefully pour the prepared custard over the bread cubes until completely covered. Press down the bread cubes so they are covered with the custard.
Place the bread cubes and raisins in the baking dish. Carefully pour the prepared custard over the bread cubes until completely covered. Press down the bread cubes so they are covered with the custard.Prepare the water bath by carefully pouring in enough hot water so that the water is halfway up the baking dish the pudding is in. Bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Can be served warm or cold with a dusting of confectioners sugar and a dollop of whipped cream, ice cream or creme anglaise.
3 comments:
I am so glad you used that bread. I love Bread pudding, but never make it. Maybe I will order that bread again!!!
I so love bread pudding. This looks exquisite. My husband doesn't like bread pudding, and that makes me sad. I don't particular want to make it for "one". Too bad we aren't close neighbors. I'd make the coffee and you bring on the bread pudding.
Someday, I'll make this when I have someone who can appreciate the comfort in enjoying it-- with a creme anglaise, of course.
Yuk.
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