Bread Pudding

Ingredients

brown sugar

2 tbsp

sugar

1 tbsp + 3/4 cups

bread, cubed into 3/4"

loaf (~10 cups of cubes)

egg yolks

9 large

vanilla extract

4 tsp

salt

3/4 tsp

heavy cream

2 1/2 cups

milk

2 1/2 cups

butter, melted

2 tbsp

Instructions

1. BAKING INSTRUCTIONS: Preheat oven to 325°F. Adjust racks to middle and lower positions. Bake for 45-50 in heat safe 9”x13” glass or ceramic dish, on a rimmed metal cookie sheet. Allow to cool to just warm.
2. Whisk together brown sugar, and 1 tbsp of sugar, and set aside.
3. Spread bread cubes on two cookie sheets, and bake, tossing occasionally for 15 min until just dry. Rotate sheets half-way through. Allow bread cubes to cool.
4. Set aside 2 cups of bread cubes for later.
5. In a very large bowl, whisk together yolks with 3/4 cups sugar, vanilla extract, and salt. Whisk in heavy cream and milk until combined. Add other 8 cups of bread cubes to mixture, and toss to throughly coat.
6. Transfer to a 9x13” glass or ceramic dish, and let stand, occasionally pressing bread into custard, until cubes are thoroughly saturated. About 30 min of soaking.
7. Spread reserved 2 cups of bread evenly over top of soaked bread, and gently press into custard. Using a pasty brush, dab melted butter over un-soaked bread pieces. Sprinkle brown sugar mixture evenly over top. Ingredients (brown sugar sauce): brown sugar 1/2 cup heavy cream 7 tbsp butter 2 1/2 tbsp bourbon, rum, brandy 1 tbsp
8. In a small saucepan, over medium heat, whisk together brown sugar and heavy cream. Continue to cook, whisking frequently, until mixture comes to a gentle boil (~5 min).
9. Whisk in butter, and return to gentle boil (~1 min).
10. Remove from heat and whisk in alcohol.

Notes

Tuaca made an excellent brown sugar sauce.