Bread Pudding: What is a good recipe for bread pudding?
I love a good bread pudding and order it whenever a restaurant offers it. I’d have to say the best bread pudding I’ve ever had was at Commander’s Palace in New Orleans. This is the restaurant where CelebriChef Emeril “Bam” Lagasse cut his teeth. Ingredients Bread Pudding: • Butter, for greasing pan and ramekins • 3/4 cup sugar • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon • Pinch nutmeg • 3 medium eggs • 1 cup heavy cream • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract • 5 cups New Orleans French bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (see *Cook’s Note) • 1/3 cup raisins Whiskey Sauce: • 1 cup heavy cream • 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch • 1 tablespoon water • 3 tablespoons sugar • 1/4 cup bourbon Meringue: • 9 medium egg whites, room temperature • 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar • 3/4 cup sugar Directions *Cook’s Note: New Orleans French bread is very light and tender. If another bread is used that is too dense, it will soak up all the custard and the recipe won’t work. Make the bread pudding: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8-i
I call this Bread Pudding: “Goddam with the Bread Pudding, Woman!” (for that is what a housemate called it after I stole his bourbon) At any rate, as follows: Chunk of stale bread (chunk=approximately 4″ by 15″ or 60 square inches or equivalent sq. cm) I used a ciabatta loaf, but there are schools of thought that an egg-based bread or more dense bread are better. Whatever. Tear into 1″ cube (or equivalent metric conversions) 4 Tb. butter 3/4 cup honey 8 egg yolks beaten 1 cup heavy cream 2 cups milk* 1/2 cup bourbon (or more, Beam is fabulous)* 1 tsp. vanilla 1/2 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. nutmeg 1 1/2 cup nuts or raisins or apple chunks (I love this with pecans, but black walnuts are good, too if you can get them) Syrup: 1/2 cup honey 3/4 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup butter 1 can sweetened condensed milk *I prep by feel, so these measurements are approximate. For a science-based accounting of measures and effects consult a source like Cooks Illustrated Grease (I use a butter and oil blend) two loa
