Bread Pudding

This bread pudding recipe is based on one from the famed Bon Ton Cafe in New Orleans. My friend Becca has been making this bread pudding in her family for years and made us a batch for the holidays.

The sauce is loaded with bourbon (Becca says the Bon Ton’s sauce has even more bourbon in it), so you might want to use somewhat less. My father still gets a dazed and happy look in his eyes when this bread pudding is mentioned.

Bread Pudding Recipe

Need a kid-friendly sauce without bourbon? Use 1/2 cup of water mixed with 1 Tbsp vanilla extract and 2 Tbsp of cider or white vinegar in place of the bourbon called for in the sauce recipe.

Get the raisins soaking in bourbon before you start anything with this recipe. You can even soak them a day or two ahead.

The bread you use should be a little dry. If the bread you are using is fresh, after you cube it, spread it out on a sheet pan and put it in a 200°F oven for 10 minutes.

Ingredients

Bread Pudding:

• 1 loaf French bread, at least a day old, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 6-7 cups)
• 1 qt milk
• 3 eggs (large)
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 Tbsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup raisins (soaked an hour or two in 1/4 cup bourbon)
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Bourbon Sauce:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup Kentucky bourbon whiskey (less or more to taste)

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