Bread Pudding and the flue

It's cold in my house this morning.  I'm hoping the fireplace person comes tomorrow. (where's dick van dyke?) My flue won't shut and it's 24º F. outside.  

A fine antidote is bread pudding (and a sweatshirt).  Here's this morning's creation, a sourdough country bread pudding, with sautéed golden delicious apples, studded with golden raisins. I'm bringing it to a party we're having at work for a woman who's going to have a baby.  I've already wrapped up some cream cheese pound cake I had in the freezer, but my freezer is bursting with bread. (Is it just me?)

It's easy and it makes the place smell like apple heaven.  And now it's warm in here!

 

Golden Bread Pudding

Blue Heron Kitchen

Ingredients:

8 oz. firm, good quality bread, such as 'country' sourdough, baguette, just about anything from Balthazar, Bread Alone, Orwasher's, Grandaisy Bakery, Amy's Bread - you get the idea, right? - cut into approx. 1" cubes.  Stale is good.  Toast it for about 6-8 minutes.

2 Golden Delicious Apples

1 oz. (2 Tbsp.) unsalted butter (I used 83% European style - Cabots or Plugra are two brands you can find in the supermarket - Fairway carries both.)

1-2 Tbsp. sugar + a few drops of fresh lemon juice for the sautéed apples

6 Tbsp. (additional) granulated sugar 

3 cups whole milk (I use organic)

3 eggs + 1 egg yolk, size large, room temperature

1/2 c. golden raisins

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg

cinnamon sugar for the top

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 350º F.

Set oven rack to the lower third of oven.

Butter and dust, with granulated sugar, the inside of a 2 quart Pyrex casserole.

Have a roasting pan that the casserole will fit comfortably inside to use as a "bain-marie" (a water bath - you're going to pour hot water about 1/2 way up the side of the casserole so it's warm and cozy while it bakes and so it turns into a lovely pudding instead of a brick.)

Place toasted bread cubes in a large bowl.

Sauté diced apples  

in butter, adding sugar and lemon juice to taste, until cooked, but still firm.  Remove from heat.

Add apples and raisins to cubed bread.

In a small bowl, add the 6 Tbsp. granulated sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg, whisking it together. Add to the bread/fruit mixture.

In another bowl, whisk together milk, whole eggs, egg yolk (freeze the egg white for another use in a small plastic bag) and vanilla extract, creating a 'custard'.

Pour dry bread/fruit/sugar and spice mixture into the prepared baking pan and pour the custard over the bread.  Press the bread down into the custard, making sure to soak it all.  

Sprinkle the top with some cinnamon sugar.

Place the casserole in a roasting pan and place in the oven.  Carefully pour hot water into the roasting pan about 1-2 inches up the side of the casserole

and bake the bread pudding for approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes, give or take, until a sharp knife comes out clean.

Remove from the bain-marie and cool on a rack.

This is best served the same day, warm.  Serve it 'plain', with some crème anglaise or some yoghurt for breakfast! 

peace, love and warmth,

jane