I love love love bread pudding – If it’s done right! It is not an easy thing to get the right combination of sweet and salty custardy firmness. As some of you may know, when I was 14 I landed my first job in the restaurant business. By the following year, I was the lead baker for Merchant’s Country Manor. It was a hole-in-the-wall dive, located just of US 41 in Morocco, IN. I learned to make all kinds of things, from pies to the perfect poached egg and one of my favs – Bread Pudding! Yum!! I have played with the recipe over the years and this is what I have developed to be my signature BP. Enjoy!

~Services~ 6

Food Stuffs:
1 Loaf white bread
1 Loaf wheat bread
1 Loaf french bread or baguette
10 Large eggs
1 c Light cream or half and half
2-3 c Milk
2TBS cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
Sea Salt
2 c Brown Sugar
1/2 c Granulated sugar
2TBS Vanilla
2 Sticks o’ Butter
1/3 c Heavy cream
2TBS Cream Sherry
1.5c Dried cranberries (craisins) and 1/2 c Raisins.
TIP: Old plain bagels or any kind of crusty bread would work…I usually take the left over bread pieces and store them in the freezer until I have enough to make a batch of bread pudding.

Ok. Crack 6 eggs into a medium sized bowl. Separate the remaining eggs, adding the yolks only. If you have an immersion blender this will be much easier for you. If not, I hope you have strong arms :)  Whip the eggs until they start to froth…this will help your “custard” be more creamy and smooth. Now, add one stick of softened butter and granulated sugar. Blend until smooth. Add the light cream, a pinch of sea salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and cream sherry. Using the blender whip together for 2 minutes. Set aside.

Chop the bread into 1 inch squares. Place bread into a large mixing bowl. Pour your egg mixture over the bread and fold, gently. DO NOT MUSH THE BREAD! Slowly add the milk until all the pieces are well saturated. You are looking for everything to be well moistened but not soupy. Fold in the fruit.

For Christmas my husband bought me the cutest little personal-sized casserole dishes. I use them for my BP whenever we have company. If you don’t have something like this, you can use a standard baking dish and just cut the pudding to order. Regardless of what you choose to bake in, the prep is the same.

Choose your baking dish and melt 1/2 a stick of  butter. Brush the inside of the baking dish with butter, making sure not to miss any spots. Scoop in bread pudding until the dish is half full. Place in the oven at 350 for 35-45min or until the top is a nice golden brown.

While the BP is baking, let’s make the caramel sauce! This is super easy and super yummy!!!! Grab a metal skillet. Melt one stick of butter. Add brown sugar and a little bit of water. Add a dribble of vanilla and bring the mixture to a slow boil. As soon as the sugar starts to boil, reduce heat and add the heavy whipping cream and 1/2tsp sea or kosher salt.  Cook for another minute – until the caramel starts to thicken. Remove from heat. Check the saltiness. I love the combination of sweet and salty, so please feel free to add extra salt. I usually do :)
TIP: If you overcook the sugar, it will harden and turn to candy. So be careful and take your time.

Once the BP is finished, remove it from the oven and place it on a dessert platter. Drizzle on the caramel sauce. I usually put the remaining caramel on the table in a decorative sauce dish so that my guests can decide how much they want.

I can’t think of a wine that would pair well with this. However, I do  like to serve this warm gooey desert with my favorite spiked coffee: 1 mug of piping hot coffee, one shot of Frangelica Liquor and liquid coffee creamer or light cream. Hit it with a little whipping cream and yum!!!