Chances are you have already been cooking festive foods for about a month. It’s just that time of year. There’s lots of extra work involved, which most cooks take on cheerfully. There’s also often waste, too, between bags of special ingredients bought for the holidays and the everyday foods that don’t get consumed at their usual rate. Bread puddings offer a delicious solution for dribs and drabs of any number of things that can combine to become something new and tantalizing. Start with these surefire recipes, then get creative!
Caramel Banana Bread Pudding
Recipe Name: Caramel Banana Bread Pudding Prep Time: Cook Time: Total Time: Yield: Serving: Yield: 8 servings
Author: Tammy Algood
Ingredients
- 1½ cups caramel sauce or syrup
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 8 slices white, buttermilk or potato sandwich bread
- 3 medium bananas, peeled and thinly sliced on the diagonal
- 4 eggs
- 1½ cups half-and-half
- ⅓ cup milk
- 2½ tablespoons sugar, divided
- 1 teaspoon banana or rum extract
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted Preheat the broiler. Lightly grease 8
- ¾-cup ramekins.
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the caramel and sea salt. Spoon 1 generous tablespoon into each ramekin and set aside.
- Place the bread on a lightly greased jellyroll pan. Spread 1 generous tablespoon of the sauce over each bread slice. Broil 1 to 2 minutes or until the caramel is bubbly. Watch carefully to avoid burning. Cool on a wire rack.
- When cool, cut each bread slice into 6 squares. Set 1 banana slice on each bread square. Arrange on the edges, side by side, into prepared ramekins so it fits snugly.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, milk, 1½ tablespoons of the sugar and extract. Pour enough custard into each ramekin to reach the top. Let stand until the bread absorbs the custard, about 30–40 minutes.
- Meanwhile, position the rack in bottom third of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees. Pour the remaining custard into the ramekins. Brush the exposed bread pieces with the melted butter. Sprinkle the tops with the remaining tablespoon of sugar.
- Set the ramekins in a large roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into the pan so that it comes halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake 45 minutes or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the ramekins from the pan and cool on a wire rack. Serve warm.
- Notes:
- Note: This can be made up to 8 hours in advance. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Bring to room temperature before serving.
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Chocolate Bread Pudding
Recipe Name: Chocolate Bread Pudding Prep Time: Cook Time: Total Time: Yield: Serving: Yield: 8 servings
Author: Tammy Algood
Ingredients
- 2 cups milk
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 4 cups diced day-old Italian bread
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- Whipped cream
Instructions
- Place the milk and cream in a 2-quart heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, toss the bread with the melted butter. Set aside.
- Place the chocolate in a mixing bowl. When the milk mixture begins to simmer, remove from heat and pour over the chocolate. Let stand for 2 minutes, then whisk until smooth. Add the eggs, sugar, vanilla and salt and whisk until well combined. Pour over the bread, cover loosely with plastic wrap and place a smaller bowl on top. Weight with a heavy can and let the pudding stand for 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease an 8-inch square baking dish. Transfer the pudding to the prepared dish and bake for 40–45 minutes until the pudding is set but the center still trembles slightly. Do not overbake because the pudding will set as it cools. Serve warm or at room temperature with whipped cream.
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Buttermilk Bread Pudding with Rum Sauce
Recipe Name: Buttermilk Bread Pudding with Rum Sauce Prep Time: Cook Time: Total Time: Yield: Serving: Yield: 6 servings
Author: Tammy Algood
Ingredients
- 6 cups cubed French bread
- 1¼ cups buttermilk or whole milk
- 1 cup plus 3 tablespoons heavy cream, divided
- ¾ cup sugar, divided
- 4 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons plus ½ teaspoon rum, divided
- Pinch of salt
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Place the bread cubes in a 13-by-9-inch greased baking dish and set aside. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the buttermilk or whole milk, 1 cup of the cream, ¼ cup of sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon of the rum and salt. Pour over the bread cubes and stir gently to combine. Let stand for 30–40 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and bake for 50 minutes. Place on a wire rack to cool.
- Meanwhile, place the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat to melt. Add the remaining sugar and cream as well as the cinnamon. Stir constantly until the sugar dissolves and the sauce begins to thicken, about 8 minutes. Add the remaining rum. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes before serving warm.
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Butter Pecan Bread Pudding
Recipe Name: Butter Pecan Bread Pudding Prep Time: Cook Time: Total Time: Yield: Serving: Yield: 8–10 servings
Author: Tammy Algood
Ingredients
- 1 day-old French baguette, cut in cubes and allowed to sit for an hour to dry out
- 5 eggs
- 3 cups milk
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1½ cups firmly packed brown sugar
- 1½ cups pecan halves
- 1 cup caramel syrup or sauce
Instructions
- Place the bread cubes in a greased 13-by-9-inch baking dish and set aside. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs. Add the milk, granulated sugar and extract. Evenly pour over the bread cubes. Set aside and allow to stand for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Melt the butter in a mixing bowl in the microwave on low power for 30 seconds. Continue in 30 second increments until melted. Add the brown sugar and continue stirring until the sugar dissolves completely. Fold in the pecans. Pour over and very gently fold into the bread cube mixture. Do not mix.
- Bake 50–55 minutes or until the top is browned. The center will still be a little soft but will set as the mixture cools. Place on a wire rack to cool 30 minutes before serving warm with drizzles of caramel syrup or sauce.
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White Chocolate and Raspberry Bread Pudding
Recipe Name: White Chocolate and Raspberry Bread Pudding Prep Time: Cook Time: Total Time: Yield: Serving: Yield: 10 servings
Author: Tammy Algood
Ingredients
- 6 (1½-inch thick) slices stale French bread, cut in cubes
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup milk or half-and-half
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla or almond extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 pint fresh raspberries
- ½ pound white chocolate, broken into small pieces
- 1 cup vanilla ice cream, melted
Instructions
- Place the bread cubes in a greased 8-inch square baking dish. Drizzle with the melted butter and set aside. In a mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, then add the cream, half-and-half, sugar, extract and cardamom. When well blended, pour over the bread cubes. Set aside to soak for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place water in a kettle and bring to a boil. Pull out a pan large enough for the 8-inch square pan to sit in.
- Very gently fold the raspberries and white chocolate into the bread crumb mixture. Cover with foil. Set the pan inside the larger pan and place on the oven rack. Carefully pour the hot water into the larger pan until it comes halfway up the sides of the pan. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 12–15 minutes or until the top is browned. Carefully remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool for at least 45 minutes. Serve warm with drizzles of the melted ice cream.
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Ask Chef Tammy
Tips and tricks
Selecting the proper bread is a key to success. Typically, you want to utilize breads that are a bit dense and chewy. The best ones are plain loaves of French or Italian bread as well as brioche or challah.
Grease the baking dish thoroughly with butter or cooking spray. Then make sure it gets in all the corners and up the sides of the dish by rubbing with your fingers.
Sauces can be a great addition when serving bread pudding, particularly if you overcooked it and the recipe seems dry.
Use thin sauces enhanced with fruit or chocolate if the flavors are compatible or a simple vanilla sauce if the bread pudding is already spiced.
Reheat leftover bread pudding in the microwave on low power.
