Lise's Ol' Fashioned Bread Pudding

You guessed it...it's been a grey, foggy, rainy day, so I decided to bake.  I love looking out the kitchen windows while I am baking and watch the fog come and go...today it's been so thick there were times I couldn't see into the woods...I find it very comforting to bake on days like this!

Lise's Ol' Fashioned Bread Pudding

Read to the end of today's post for a special zing for the pudding!
Ingredients:
6 slices of toasted fresh bread, lightly buttered, broken into pieces (I used Italian, use your favorite)
2 slices of fresh bread, broken into pieces
3 tbsp butter
1/2 cup whole seedless raisins (you can omit them or chop into bits if you prefer)
1/2 tsp cinnamon + 1/3 tsp nutmeg, mixed together
3 eggs
1/3 cup sugar
2 3/4 cups whole milk (use 3 cups if you prefer it "wet", we like ours less moist)
1 tsp vanilla
sprinkling of raw cane sugar

 ...forgot to show the eggs...

Putting it together:

It'ss important to use bread that is somewhat dry when making this recipe; most recipes call for day old or stale bread (a good use of this bread in that case).  I prefer to toast and butter some of the bread, it gives a little different texture to the pudding; the rest of the bread is not toasted or buttered.  This combination gives the pudding a beautiful creamy and crispy texture.   

You need just enough bread to cover the bottom of a buttered 9x13 baking dish.  First break the toasted slices and layer the bottom of the pan.  Then break the fresh slices and place it in between the toasted pieces, filling in all the gaps.  Dot the top with any butter that wasn't used to butter the toast.

Now sprinkle the bread with the cinnamon/nutmeg mixture, making sure to get some on all the pieces.  Then sprinkle the raisins all around. 

Mix the eggs and sugar, then add the milk and vanilla (this is your custard). 

Pour the custard mixture over the bread, again being sure to moisten every piece.  It may look like you don't have enough custard...

...but now allow the pan to sit at room temperature for 1 hour; this will give the bread a chance to soak up all the liquid.  During this time, periodically gently press the bread down to be sure all the pieces are getting wet.  You can also push some of the raisins down in between the pieces of bread, leaving some on top. 

When the hour has passed, sprinkle raw sugar all over the top.

Place the pan inside another pan, and pour hot water into the second pan (be sure not to splash your bread pudding), creating about a 1 inch water bath (this helps cook the pudding evenly).

Place the pans into a 350 F degree oven for about 60 minutes.  It will be done when a knife inserted half way between the center and the edge comes out clean.

It looks so good, with a crispy top, plumped up raisins, and so moist inside!  This is excellent when eaten warm; of course, you can eat it cold, but I like it best when it's reheated just slightly in the microwave for 8 seconds or so.

And then, I had to do it...not because the bread pudding wasn't good enough, but because bourbon sauce sounds perfectly decadent on a foggy day like today.  I didn't take pictures of the ingredients, but here is the recipe, not mine, it's Chef Nick Sundberg's of Beaumont Inn, Kentucky.

Bourbon Sauce

1 cup granulated sugar

6 tablespoons butter, melted

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 tablespoon (or more!) Bourbon

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon white corn syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla

In a sauce pan mix all ingredients. Bring to a boil for 1 minute. Serve warm. The sauce gets bubbly and a beautiful light brown color...

Oh, oh, oh soooooo goooood!!!  The bread pudding stands on it's own, a delightful light concoction, but the bourbon sauce makes it an extra special treat that will keep your family and guests thinking you have been slaving away all day!

Thanks for reading my blog, you are the best f/f/r/s/f's, see you tomorrow,
Lise