By Katherine
So decadent
A bread pudding in the middle of summer, what are we crazy? Well, yes. But here’s the back story. I had a girls’ night and a friend brought two bags of baguette slices. At the end of the evening we still had a bag, about a pound, left. The next night Greg and I had mini open-faced sandwiches. Another night, we had bruschetta and still it looked like we’d hardly made a dent in the bag. So I threw together a bread pudding. Pretty smart, huh? The only downside was I’d also pulled together the ingredients for those nice ricotta fritters, saving the actual work frying for Greg.
When I opened the cabinet to pull out bread crumbs I realized we were out. Greg had to make a detour to the grocery store to BUY bread crumbs, something we have probably only done twice since they’re so easy to make. Too bad we didn’t have some stale bread lying around for me to make something we actually needed, like, say bread crumbs. Oh well, the pudding was delicious.
Chocolate Bread Pudding
- 1/2 pound baguette slices, cut into 1/2 to 1 inch pieces
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 2/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
- 3 large eggs, beaten
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 1 tbsp bourbon
- roughly 2 ounces chopped dark chocolate (you can use half a 4.25 ounce bar)
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a baking sheet and place the cubed bread on it. Cook for about 1-20 minutes until toasted, stirring occasionally. Remove once golden and dry.
In a medium bowl, whisk eggs, milk, butter, bourbon, cinnamon and sugar. In a large bowl, pour the milk mixture over the bread and allow to sit for about 10 minutes to allow them to soak up everything. Stir in the chocolate and pecans.
Pour mix into a greased 1 1/2-quart casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes to an hour, until the pudding is set and the top is golden. Remove from oven and let cool for about 5-10 minutes. Dust with powdered sugar, if desired, and serve.
One of my favorite desserts with my favorite combo of flavors…chocolate, pecans and bourbon! I’d heat up my oven for this anytime!
This is one of my all time favorites. I make it once a year around Thanksgiving, but I do it with panettone bread. And extra booze.
have you ever done it with amaretto? That’s tasty too.
sky-high level of awesomeness.
Love bread pudding, but I’ve got to say that in the summer heat fresh fruit is my number one choice of dessert.
Ironic Greg had to go buy breadcrumbs but so glad you made and posted this scrumptious bread pudding in the middle of summer. Bet it made the house smell wonderful.
What a great dessert Katherine. I remember a story my MIL told us of a cruise she was on a million years ago. She had asked the waiter for the bread pudding for dessert and he played a little joke on her bringing her bread and eggs and milk. She was a very petite little white haired lady with rosy cheeks. They all had a good chuckle over it.
Yummy. I had chocolate bread pudding with warm bourbon sauce last week at Stonewood Grill. Quite sinful.
Sounds lovely
Decadent bread and butter pud.
Mandy
That is one tasty looking bread pudding!
Katherine one day I am going to run away from home and come over so you can cook for me.. I love all your food.. do you have space for Daisy in your garden shed? Oh and maybe Kupa but he can stay in the truck, and then there is TonTon and just maybe Queenie and a rooster or two.. oh never mind.. you will have to pack your liquor cabinet and come up here.. I have milk! c
Most certainly worth the heat and the detour.
I’d never thought much of bread pudding. Then, about 15 years ago in a newly-opened restaurant in my old neighborhood, I followed a friend’s suggestion and ordered the bread pudding. Served with a rum sauce, it was like none I had before. I’d be willing to bet yours with its bourbon sauce is at least as good and most probably better.
There is no wrong season for bread pudding.
There you go throwing in all my favorites in one big hot dish! Chocolate, pecans, bread and bourbon!! I think that’s a great idea to use up leftovers in such a delicious way!
I am a bread pudding kind of gal and this is a bread pudding….
The only thing crazy about this bread pudding is that I haven’t eaten it yet. This is going on my list this very second. Looks great guys. Who cares about the seasons!
It sounds like a very posh bread pudding indeed, lovely, haven’t eaten one in years but we never seem to have much bread around to make one. Mighy just have to make one anyway
Wow Greg this is way much better than my bread pudding.
Love. It.
I have a fabulous recipe for chocolate walnut bread pudding. It is much more chocolatey, but it does not contain bourbon. I must splice these two and make a Franken-bread-pudding that will take over the world.
“Too bad we didn’t have some stale bread lying around for me to make something we actually needed” – I beg to differ. Dessert is ALWAYS needed! Those pecans look killer.
What a good collection of ingredients. It would have to be good with that little lot in there. I love a rich pudding…any time of year.