I have been craving bread pudding among other unhealthy desserts for months now. I remember getting it hot off the smorgasbord when I was a child or as we walked through the lunch line at our local delicatessen with my grandmother(MaMa). I have had some really great interpretation of this dessert and some you could patch a block wall with.
So I decided I want that sweet sweet treat again. Small problem with that; we pretty much eat strictly organic. Sometimes we will step off the organic train and that is all the reminder we need as to why we got on in the first place. Plus the ingredients in bread pudding are some of the most GMO you could find. So what do I do? I make my own, a quick trip to the grocery store and I have the haul. Organic Valley half & half, unsalted organic cream butter, organic madagascar bourbon vanilla beans, organic golden raisins, Florida Crystals organic & vegan demerara sugar, free range organic eggs, organic cinnamon & nutmeg. Plus the main ingredient Rudis organic whole wheat bread with a touch of honey.
Only thing that wasn't organic was the Jameson Irish whiskey for the sauce, didn't think to look for organic whiskey. Plus I had just enough Jameson left for the recipe and we don't toss anything away just because its not organic, we just use it up and never buy it again. We have been on the organic path for almost 2 years now and I can say from our soaps, lotions, toothpaste and other hygiene items we are about 70% organic but our food is 99%.
Enough of the babbling there will be plenty more of that later on....On to the real reason your here; THE RECIPE!!
Organic Bread Pudding w/ Whiskey Sauce.
8 or 9 cups of bread cubed into 1 inch pieces. Left out to stale over night (or longer)
1/3 tbls butter
3 1/2 cups half & half
3 large eggs
1 1/3 cup Demerara sugar (sub brown sugar)
1/4 cup raisins
1 vanilla bean
3/4 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp nutmeg
Pinch of sea salt
Start with your bread; cube it up and let it stale over night in a bowl or oven. I left mine for 3 days in a bowl, I'm a dad to a toddler and well my plans never seem to go as planned. Hers on the other hand seem to be timed just right for that.
Use some of the butter to grease a 9 by13 inch casserole dish.
Take 1/2 cup of your half & half, remaining butter and put it in a small sauce pan. Next cut your vanilla bean in half then split it to remove the seeds. Place the seeds, leftover bean and raisins in the sauce pan with your half & half then heat on medium. As soon as steam starts to form pull from heat and cover and let steep for 15 minutes (if mixture simmers remove from heat immediately).
While vanilla mixture is steeping mix eggs, sugar, salt & spices in a bowl. As the 15 minutes rounds out remove the vanilla bean pods from the pan.Take the remaining half & half adding a little at a time to the hot mixture to bring the temp down. Once the vanilla mixture is cool pour it in with the eggs and spices.
When everything is mixed well pour over bread and let soak for 30 minutes mixing it at the 15 minute mark. Preheat over to 350. Pour bread mixture into greased casserole dish and place in the oven for 50 to 60 minutes. Bread pudding will be done when middle is firm.
Whiskey Sauce:
1 cup half & half
1/4 cup granulated white sugar
1 tablespoons cornstarch (maybe more)
3/8 cup irish whiskey
Pinch salt
1 tbls unsalted butter
In a saucepan turn to medium heat, add the half & half and sugar. Place the cornstarch and 1/8 cup of the whiskey in a small bowl and mix to make a slurry. Pour the slurry into the cream mixture and bring to a boil. Once the sauce begins to boil, reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 to 5 minutes until thick. Remove the sauce from the heat, add the salt, and stir in the butter and the remaining whiskey. Serve warm over bread pudding.
If you don't eat organic like my family feel free to use whatever products you'd like to make this. Take this recipe and make it your own. I'd love to see your creations in the comments below.
Enjoy!