Sticky Toffee Bread Pudding
Sticky Toffee Bread Pudding

Bread pudding, a homespun dish made from dried bread and rich custard, has come a long way. Today's restaurant menus feature myriad adaptations such as gingerbread, white chocolate and lemon, to name a few. Served in souffle dishes, in individual ramekins or in a shallow baking dish, bread puddings are difficult to resist because of their old-fashioned quality.

Simple to put together, this dessert can be as versatile as your imagination. This particular version is based on an idea of a sticky toffee pudding. Cut-up fresh and dried dates are combined with toasted egg bread, and then the mixture is bathed in a vanilla-scented custard. I have served this at casual family gatherings and major parties with great success. If you want a wonderful ice cream sauce, defrost a pint of dulce de leche ice cream and whisk it in a bowl. Spoon it over the warm pudding for a wonderful taste sensation.

Keep these tips in mind when making this Bread Pudding dessert:

-- Use good quality bread such as challah or brioche.

-- Make sure to dry it out so that the bread can absorb the custard. You can do this by putting it out on the counter overnight or in a 250 F oven for half an hour.

-- Allow time for the custard to absorb into the bread before it goes into the oven. It is also important to let the bread absorb the custard fully by allowing it to sit until you can feel that a cube is soaked through to the center.

-- Advance preparation: This can be prepared up to 4 hours ahead, covered and left at room temperature. It can also be made a day ahead and served chilled. It can also be reheated.

Sticky Toffee Bread Pudding Dessert Recipe

Serves 6-8

8 cups (1-inch cubes) of challah, day-old

1 cup chopped dried dates

1 1/2 cups chopped fresh Majool dates

6 large eggs, plus 2 large egg yolks

1 1/4 cups sugar

3 1/2 cups half and half

1 tablespoon vanilla

Pinch freshly grated nutmeg

Powdered sugar, for decoration

1 cup creme fraiche or 1 defrosted pint dulce de leche ice cream, for serving

1. Grease a 9- by 13-inch baking dish. Arrange the bread and the dates in the dish, making sure that they are evenly distributed.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the eggs and egg yolks on medium speed until they are frothy. Add the sugar and beat the mixture until thick and lemon colored, about 3 minutes. Add the half and half, reducing the speed to low, and mix to combine. Add the vanilla and nutmeg and mix to combine.

3. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Ladle the custard over the bread. Let the pudding sit for 30 minutes to 1 hour to help the bread absorb the custard, occasionally pushing the bread down with a wooden spoon.

4. Place the pudding in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes. Open the oven and, using heavy oven mitts and with a large spoon, push the bread down. The remaining liquid custard will rise. Spoon the custard evenly over the bread pieces. Bake for about 15-20 more minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.

6. Remove the pudding from the oven, sprinkle it with powdered sugar and let rest about 10 minutes. Spoon onto dessert plates and serve with creme fraiche or softened dulce de leche ice cream on the side. It is also excellent served cold the next day.

Diane Rossen Worthington is an authority on new American cooking. She is the author of 18 cookbooks (click here), including "Seriously Simple Holidays: Recipes and Ideas to Celebrate the Season," and also a James Beard award-winning radio show host.

Available at Amazon.com:

Barefoot Contessa How Easy Is That?: Fabulous Recipes & Easy Tips

Anna Getty's Easy Green Organic

Cuisinart ICE-30BC Pure Indulgence 2-Quart Automatic Frozen Yogurt, Sorbet, and Ice Cream Maker

The Lee Bros. Simple Fresh Southern: Knockout Dishes with Down-Home Flavor

Stonewall Kitchen: Grilling: Fired-Up Recipes for Cooking Outdoors All Year Long

Luscious Coconut Desserts

Tapas: Sensational Small Plates From Spain

Simply Organic: A Cookbook for Sustainable, Seasonal, and Local Ingredients

The Lee Bros. Simple Fresh Southern

Around My French Table: More Than 300 Recipes from My Home to Yours

Heart of the Artichoke and Other Kitchen Journeys

Teen Cuisine

Simple Comforts: 50 Heartwarming Recipes

 

Subscribe to Receive our Gourmet Recipes


Sticky Toffee Bread Puddings - Recipe

World-renowned chefs with an extraordinary passion for food share their passion on iHaveNet.com. These chefs make great cooking easier than imagined. Each gourmet recipe features expert advice and an easy-to-make recipe. Exactly what you need to transform your home cooking from acceptable to delectable

© Tribune Media Services