Got challah? Got LOTS of challah? Make this bread pudding! My first experience with bread pudding was when I made Dorie's Four-Star Chocolate Bread Pudding out of leftover kugelhopf. It was okay, but there was too much custard for my liking. Last week when I had half of a HUGE loaf of challah leftover, I knew I wanted to make a classic bread pudding with whisky sauce. I chose a recipe from Screen Doors and Sweet Tea but Martha Hall Foose. Btw, this book is fabulous, and I suggest it for everyone's cookbook library! Anyway, the bread pudding came out perfect! The recipe calls for 8 cups of cubed bread. I think measuring bread by cups is kind of rediculous. I weighed mine, and it came out to be almost 1 pound of challah (w/ crusts cut off). I also cut my bread into large cubes to prevent them from breaking down too much and looking like mush in the end. Of course I went with the southern spirit of the cookbook and used Southern Comfort! This bread pudding is amazing! The ratio of custard to bread is PERFECT! I added raisins and cinnamon (my parents specifically asked for those two things), and I believe this is the bread pudding recipe I'll be using for the rest of my life! I'm still going to try The Pioneer Woman's recipe, but it's got some stiff competition!
Bread Pudding with Whisky Sauce (from Screen Doors and Sweet Tea by Martha Hall Foose)
SERVES 8 (Unless you’re serving Paula Deen portions, this easily serves 10-12.)
4 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
2 ½ cups whole milk
2 ½ cups heavy cream
¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
¾ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
½ teaspoon cinnamon (my own addition)
3 tablespoons whisky
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt
8 cups cubed bread, in ½-inch pieces (I like mine bigger, so I cut mine into 1-inch pieces; I used about 15 ½ ounces of Challah.)
½ cup raisins (my own addition)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Whisky Sauce (recipe follows)
In a large bowl, beat the eggs and egg yolk. Whisk in the milk, cream, ¾ cup sugar, the nutmeg, cinnamon (if using), whisky, vanilla, and salt. Add the bread cubes and raisins (if using); press them into the custard and allow to soak for at least 20 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Pour the bread mixture into the prepared dish. Drizzle the butter over the top, and sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar.
Bake until the top is light golden brown and the pudding begins to rise around edges of the baking dish, 45 to 50 minutes. The center will still be quite soft. Set aside on a wire rack and let cool for at least 45 minutes before serving. Serve warm, at room temperature, or even chilled, topped with Whisky Sauce.
WHISKY SAUCE
MAKES 2 CUPS
1 cup evaporated milk
1 cup whole milk
1 cup packed light brown sugar
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons good whisky
In a large saucepan, combine the milks, brown sugar, and butter. Cook and stir over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved and the sauce is warm.
In a small dish, combine the cornstarch and whisky. Stir to remove any lumps, and then put the mixture into the saucepan. Cook and stir the sauce until it boils. Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly, then remove from the heat. Serve hot.
