Description
Hearty New Orleans Style Bread Pudding beckons with Southern charm, blending rich custard and tender bread into a classic dessert. Warm bourbon sauce and delicate spices invite comfort, promising a delightful journey through Louisiana’s sweet culinary traditions you won’t soon forget.
Ingredients
Scale
Bread Base:
- 1 loaf day-old french bread, cubed
- 4 large eggs
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
Sweet Additions:
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
Bourbon Sauce:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup bourbon whiskey
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and generously grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with butter to prevent sticking.
- Tear the day-old French bread into rustic, uneven cubes, ensuring varied sizes for textural complexity.
- Whisk eggs in a large mixing bowl until smooth and pale, creating a rich custard base for the pudding.
- Gradually incorporate whole milk, heavy cream, granulated sugar, melted butter, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and nutmeg into the egg mixture, whisking continuously to blend thoroughly.
- Gently fold bread cubes into the liquid mixture, allowing them to soak and absorb the creamy custard for approximately 15 minutes.
- Transfer the saturated bread mixture to the prepared baking dish, spreading evenly and ensuring all bread pieces are submerged in the custard.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 45-50 minutes, or until the top turns golden brown and the center is set with a slight wobble.
- While the pudding bakes, prepare the bourbon sauce by melting butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
- Whisk in powdered sugar, bourbon, vanilla extract, and salt, stirring until the sauce becomes smooth and glossy.
- Remove bread pudding from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes to allow slight cooling and settling.
- Serve warm, generously drizzling bourbon sauce over each portion, creating a decadent New Orleans-style dessert experience.
Notes
- Rescue stale bread by transforming it into this luxurious dessert, preventing food waste while creating a rich, comforting treat.
- Allow bread to sit in custard mixture for maximum flavor absorption, ensuring each bite is saturated with creamy goodness.
- Consider using gluten-free bread for a celiac-friendly version, maintaining the classic texture and taste of the traditional recipe.
- Experiment with different liquors like rum or brandy in the sauce for unique flavor variations that complement the spiced pudding base.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Creole
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 480
- Sugar: 40 g
- Sodium: 210 mg
- Fat: 27 g
- Saturated Fat: 17 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 51 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 7 g
- Cholesterol: 150 mg