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Food

You Asked For it: Simple bread pudding can put on the ritz

By ELLEN FOLKMAN
Published March 22, 2006

Lucile Beaudoin wanted a recipe for bread pudding like her mother used to make. She remembers that it had raisins; it also was very sweet and was served with maple syrup. Micheline Kajenski shares two bread pudding recipes that use maple syrup.

Maple Syrup Bread Pudding

1 cup maple syrup
2 slices bread, 1/2 inch thick
3 tablespoons butter
3 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups milk
Pinch of salt

Boil maple syrup for 5 minutes. Butter bread on one side. Dip in maple syrup and put in buttered baking dish. Mix eggs, milk, salt and the remaining maple syrup and pour over bread. Bake at 325 degrees until pudding is set and top is golden, about 20-25 minutes. Serves 6-8. Note: The bread should be rustic and of a good size, not sliced sandwich bread.

Bread Pudding

2 cups bread, cubed
2 cups milk
1 egg
1/2 cup sugar
Nutmeg
Orange zest, optional
2 tablespoons raisins, optional
2 tablespoons butter, cut up into small pieces

Place bread in oven-proof buttered dish. Heat milk in bain-marie. Beat egg with sugar. Pour milk over bread and incorporate egg/sugar mixture. Sprinkle with nutmeg, orange zest and raisins, if using. Dot with pieces of butter. Bake in a 350-degree oven for 30 minutes. Serve with a tablespoon of maple syrup for each serving.

Bread pudding seems to be a favorite among readers, so some other versions are included. Barbara Collins shares a recipe with a vanilla sauce. Dottie Margaritis' grandmother, who grew up in New Orleans, says her version with a whiskey sauce is killer. Jennie Miller enjoys the tropical flavor that pineapple brings to her recipe.

From: Barbara Collins of Brooksville

Recipe: Bread Pudding with Vanilla Sauce

Bread Pudding with Vanilla Sauce

5 slices of day-old bread
6 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups milk
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla
Butter

Vanilla sauce
2/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup corn syrup
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup hot water

1 tablespoon butter Toast bread, then break it into cube-sized pieces. Break eggs in casserole dish and beat. Add sugar and milk; continue beating while adding spices, vanilla, bread and raisins ? dot with butter and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

For the vanilla sauce: Blend sugar, corn syrup, cornstarch, salt, water and butter. Cook until boiling and thick. Serve over pudding; sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg.

For: Lucile Beaudoin of Holiday

From: Dottie Margaritis of Tierra Verde

Recipe: Bread Pudding with Whiskey Sauce

Bread Pudding with Whiskey Sauce

1 loaf stale French bread
1 quart milk
3 eggs, beaten
2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons vanilla
1 cup fresh apple, chopped
1 cup raisins
3 tablespoons butter

Whiskey sauce
8 tablespoons butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
Whiskey to taste

Soak the stale bread in milk. Crush with hands until well mixed. Add eggs, sugar, vanilla, apple and raisins. Melt butter in bottom of 9-inch-square baking dish and pour bread mixture on top. Bake at 350 degrees until firm, about 40-45 minutes. Serve warm in cubes with a little whiskey sauce on top.

For the whiskey sauce: Cream butter and sugar. Cook in double boiler until sugar is well dissolved. Add egg. Whip quickly so egg does not curdle. Cool slightly and add whiskey. Serve over bread pudding.

For: Lucile Beaudoin of Holiday

From: Jennie Miller of Crystal Beach

Recipe: Pineapple Bread Pudding

Pineapple Bread Pudding

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup whole milk
1 20-ounce can chunk pineapple in juice, drained, juice reserved
4 cups stale white or whole wheat bread, cubed (about 7 slices)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Mix in the eggs, milk, pineapple and 2 tablespoons of the reserved pineapple juice. Fold in bread cubes and toss to coat. Pour into a 9-inch-square baking dish and bake 45-55 minutes, or until set. If pudding gets too brown, cover lightly with aluminum foil for the last 5-10 minutes of baking. Serve warm. Makes 8 servings.

[Last modified March 22, 2006, 08:42:44]