The Best Bread Pudding — Truly!

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Walking Through the Bible in One Year —
Bringing the Story to Life
Week 5 reading plan per day:
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Monday (Exodus 33-35) Tuesday (Ex. 36-38)
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My husband loves bread pudding. We have eaten bread pudding in restaurants from coast to coast and across the seas.  Sometimes the pudding was heavy and bland, sometimes sickly sweet, a few have been dry and tasteless.  I have made a few recipes though the years, but nothing ever really connected … until now.  I am not nearly as fond of it as my husband is … until I adapted a recipe by Paula Deen.  I did have to cut the sugar a bit and I added cinnamon raisin bread to the bread mix, which I think made a huge difference!
Instead of using brandy in the sauce I used Frangelico (hazelnut flavored liqueur.  It is what I had on hand and turned out to be a perfect flavor, light and slightly nutty.
Instead of pouring the sauce all over the baked pudding (like Paula does) I served mine individually with warmed sauce dripping all around!
And to top it off I served this dessert for company.  And I kid you not, when I announced “Bread Pudding” for dessert my friend said, “I LOVE bread pudding, I am a bread pudding connoisseur.” 

A connoisseur, as in expert; especially : one who understands the details, technique, or principles of an art and is competent to act as a critical judge,  one who enjoys with discrimination and appreciation of subtleties.

Oh my gosh — of all the desserts I could make why in the world did I choose bread pudding???     As it turns out, this is a fabulous dessert, a keeper recipe and an over-the-top end to any dinner party!
Not-to-mention, I am now a bread pudding connoisseur 🙂

Many Blessings and Happy Cooking!

The Best Bread Pudding
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Adapted from Paula Deen's famous Best Bread Pudding with less sugar than her recipe. Still "the best"! The addition of cinnamon raisin bread puts this recipe right over the top!
Author:
Serves: 8-10
Ingredients
  • 1½ cup Granulated Sugar
  • 5 large Beaten Eggs
  • 2 cup Milk
  • 2 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
  • 6 cup Cubed Italian Bread
  • 1 cup Cinnamon Raisin Bread
Topping
  • ½ cup Brown Sugar, firmly packed
  • ¼ cup Butter, softened
  • 1 cup Pecans, chopped
Sauce
  • 1 cup Granulated Sugar
  • ½ cup Unsalted Butter, melted
  • 1 Egg, beaten
  • 2 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
  • ¼ cup Frangelico, Brandy or favorite liquor
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9" x 13" x 2" pan.
  2. Mix together granulated sugar, eggs, and milk in a bowl. Add vanilla. Pour over the cubed bread and let sit for 10 minutes.
  3. In another bowl, mix and crumble together topping ingredients, brown sugar, butter, and pecans.
  4. Pour bread mixture into prepared pan. Sprinkle brown sugar mixture over the top and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until set. Remove from oven to a cooling rack.
  5. For the sauce: Mix together the granulated sugar, butter, egg, and vanilla in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir together until the sugar is melted. Add the Frangelico (brandy, or your choice of liqueur). Pour over bread pudding. Serve warm or cold.
Notes
(1) Original recipe calls for Brandy, I use Frangelico, but I think a Grand Marnier would be awesome too!

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