Favorite Bread Pudding by Beachdee

[BakerAunt]

DESSERT: Favorite Bread Pudding
Submitted by beachdee on October 09, 2010 at 3:03 pm

Original recipe from Pasta & Co's cookbook. Used to buy chunks of this at their deli to take home and warm up, but they don't sell it there any more. I've tweaked it some, as usual, to make it my own, as can you. I usually use at least some whole-grain bread mixed with white -- or whatever I have on hand or saved in the freezer when it got stale (but thaw first, of course).

PUDDING BODY
• 3/4 cup organic dried sour (pie) cherries
• 6 dried organic apricots, quartered
• 2 whole eggs
• 2 egg whites
• 2 cups skim milk
• 1/4 cup lowfat sour cream
• 6 oz. organic apricot preserves (I use the all-fruit kind, no sugar)
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 to 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon, to taste
• 1 1/2 Tblsp cream sherry or bourbon
• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 cups crumbled bread (leave crusts on) (coarsely crumbled in a food processor or blender)
• 3 cups cubed bread (leave crusts on, cut into 3/4-inch cubes)

TOPPING:
• 1 Tblsp butter
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 3 Tblsp sugar, preferably Demerara (raw chunky-style) sugar crystals

PUDDING BODY:
Steep cherries and dry apricot chunks in hot water for 15 minutes. Drain well and reserve.
Preheat oven to 350F. Butter a shallow 8x8-inch broiler-proof baking dish (i.e. Pyrex).
In a bowl large enough to eventually hold all the ingredients, use an egg beater or electric mixer on low speed (I use an egg beater) to combine eggs, milk/sour cream (whichever you are using), preserves, sugar, cinnamon, sherry, and vanilla. Break up any apricot chunks in the preserves as much as you can.
When ingredients are well-combined, fold in crumbled and cubed bread, also the drained cherries and apricots, gently mixing until bread is well-coated in egg mixture and fruit is evenly distributed. Spoon mixture into baking dish and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes.

ADD TOPPING:
Melt the butter, then stir in sugar and cinnamon. Drizzle as evenly as possible over top of pudding in dish.

Bake until golden, about 35-45 minutes. If browning too quickly, cover dish with parchment paper or foil. Remove paper last 5 minutes. If not crusty enough for your tastes on top when done, put under broiler just until sugar in topping caramelizes (caution—will quickly burn if not baby-sat).
Serve warm or at room temperature or cold, with lightly whipped & barely sweetened cream, or with a dab of vanilla ice cream, or with milk--it's even great just plain! Yum yum!!

NOTE: Of course you can use whatever dried fruits appeal to you, or even fresh fruit and skip the soaking step. Feel free to add citrus zest, rum or whatever in place of the sherry...

comments
Submitted by Lynzi Arnold on Fri, 2010-11-05 22:38.
This sounds yummy. I will try making it and get back to you. I have always made bread pudding with either callah or a heavy bread the local grocery store bakery sells with apricots and almonds. I think they are like two completely different dishes.

The apricot/almond was taken to a family reunion two years ago and when I didn't take it last time I was in trouble. It is a good one, I have to admit. I will post it later, also. Thanks for yours.

Submitted by beachdee on Wed, 2010-11-10 03:52.
Thanks, look forward to seeing your recipe, and hear your opinion of this pudding, Lynzi. I think it's interesting how many versions there are (countless, I think!) of bread pudding (and most of them delicious!).

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