Born-Again Bread

In some places they use it for croutons, panzanella or fresh bread crumbs. But in New Orleans when you find yourself with a loaf of stale French bread you only make one thing - bread pudding. And since I am officially a New Orleans resident again, that is exactly what I did when we found ourselves with two rock hard baguettes.

I was happy to find a somewhat slim-downed version of the New Orleans staple and was eager to commence my first attempt at this classic custard creation. I was pleased at how easily the recipe came together and even more delighted with the reaction to the dish. It was thoroughly enjoyed by all and is the perfect solution for an otherwise unfortunate outcome of hardened bread.

New Orleans Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce
Adapted from Cooking Light November 2002

Ingredients

• Pudding:
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 2 tablespoons bourbon
• 1 1/4 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Dash of salt
• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 4 1/2 cups (1/2-inch) cubed stale French bread (about 8 ounces)
• Cooking spray
• 
  Sauce:
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup light-colored corn syrup
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup bourbon

Preparation

To prepare pudding, combine raisins and 2 tablespoons bourbon in a bowl.

Let stand 30 minutes.

Drain mixture in a sieve over a large bowl.

Combine reserved liquid, milk, and next 6 ingredients (milk through eggs) in a large bowl, stirring well with a whisk.

Add to bread, tossing gently to coat.

Spoon mixture into an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle evenly with raisins, pressing gently into bread mixture.

Cover with foil; chill 30 minutes or up to 8 hours.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Place dish in a 13 x 9-inch baking pan; add hot water to pan to a depth of 1 inch. Bake, covered, at 350° for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean.

To prepare sauce, combine 1/2 cup sugar, corn syrup, and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.

Bring to a simmer; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in 1/4 cup bourbon.

Serve each bread pudding serving warm with about 1 tablespoon sauce.

My Adapted Printable Recipe