Bread Pudding With Bourbon Sauce
INGREDIENTS
- >>>PUDDING
- ½ cup Thompson raisins
- ¼ cup bourbon
- ½ cup unsalted butter, plus more to grease the baking dish tips & tricks
- 4 large free-range eggs, beaten
- 2 cups half-and-half
- 1 cup milk
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ tsp. ground Himalayan sea salt
- 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp. freshly ground nutmeg
- 14 cups (15 oz.) bread such as Challah, Brioche, Hawaiian or French loaf, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 tbsp. confectioners’ sugar, or as needed for dusting
- >>>BOURBON SAUCE
- 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp. unbleached all-purpose flour
- 2 cups whole milk
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup bourbon
- 1 pinch ground Himalayan sea salt
INSTRUCTIONS
- Pudding:
Step 1: In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, add the raisins and pour over the bourbon. Stir to coat and when it’s about to simmer, remove from the heat; let the fruit macerate for 30 minutes.
Step 2: Scoop up the soaked raisins into a bowl using a slotted spoon and reserve the liquid for later.
Step 3: Preheat oven to 350º and grease a 3-quart baking dish with butter; set aside.
Step 4: In a medium saucepan over medium-heat, add butter, half-and-half, milk, sugar and ground sea salt.
Step 5: Stir until the sugar dissolves and heat the mixture until the bubbles begin to form around the edges and the milk starts to steam – make sure it doesn’t simmer.
Step 6: Remove from the heat and temper the beaten eggs by slowly adding a little amount of the hot mixture at a time, whisking constantly.
Step 7: When the egg temperature is brought up, add the mixture to the saucepan, whisking continuously.
Step 8: To this, add pure vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, freshly ground nutmeg and the reserved bourbon. Whisk the ingredients until nicely blended and set aside.
Step 9: Add half of the bread cubes to the prepared baking dish and half of the soaked raisins; repeat the layers.
Step 10: Pour over half of the custard. Press down gently with clean hands to compact the bread mixture before pouring the rest of the custard over.
Step 11: Transfer the casserole to the preheated oven and bake for 40 minutes.
Step 12: About 25 to 30 minutes through cooking, cover with foil to prevent the top from getting too dark; continue baking for the remaining time.
- Bourbon sauce:
Step 1: While the pudding is baking, make the sauce. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter before adding flour; whisk constantly for 2 minutes.
Step 2: Pour in a small amount of milk while whisking continuously and continue adding until it’s all in and the mixture is smooth without any lumps; whisk for 2 minutes.
Step 3: Add sugar, bourbon and ground sea salt. Whisk constantly for 2 to 3 minutes.
Step 4: Remove bread pudding from the heat and sprinkle on confectioners’ sugar. Serve warm with a generous spoonful of hot bourbon sauce.
