Eggnog Bread Pudding
Submitted by beefjerky
Eggnog bread pudding baked in a water bath with cinnamon-raisin bread, brandy, nutmeg, and half-and-half, served with a cranberry-maple bourbon sauce. A festive holiday dessert.
YIELD
8 servingsPREP
35 minCOOK
60 minREADY
90 minThis bread pudding tastes like eggnog in solid form. A rich custard of eggs, half-and-half, brandy, freshly grated nutmeg, and vanilla soaks into quartered slices of cinnamon raisin bread, then bakes in a water bath until softly set and custardy throughout.
The water bath is what separates a silky bread pudding from a dried-out one. Surrounding the souffle dish with boiling water keeps the temperature gentle and even, so the custard sets into a creamy, trembling texture rather than becoming rubbery. One hour gives you a center that’s just barely set, which is exactly where you want it.
The cranberry-maple sauce steals the show. Fresh cranberries burst in a maple syrup and sugar reduction, then get finished with butter and bourbon. The tart berries against the sweet maple and boozy warmth is a combination that belongs on every holiday table. It keeps in the fridge for a week.
Chef Tips
- Press the bread firmly into the custard and let it rest 20 minutes before baking. Dry bread needs time to absorb the liquid fully.
- Grate fresh nutmeg, not pre-ground. The flavor difference is dramatic in a recipe this simple.
- The pudding should jiggle slightly in the center when done. It firms up as it cools.
- The cranberry sauce can be made up to a week ahead. Reheat gently and thin with a splash of water.
Variations
- Use brioche or challah instead of cinnamon raisin bread for a richer, more buttery pudding.
- Swap brandy for dark rum for a Caribbean-inflected eggnog flavor.
- Skip the cranberry sauce and serve with warm caramel sauce and a dusting of cinnamon for a simpler presentation.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 350℉ (180℃) 15 minutes before baking, with the rack in the center of the oven.
Butter a 6-cup souffle dish. Have a kettle of boiling water ready and a baking pan large enough to hold the souffle dish.
Whisk the eggs, egg yolk and sugar until light.
Mix in the butter, the half-and-half, brandy, vanilla, nutmeg and salt.
Place the bread in the souffle dish and pour the custard over it.
Press the bread into the custard so it gets well soaked.
Let rest 20 minutes. Put the souffle dish in the baking pan and place on the oven rack.
Pour boiling water into the baking pan so it comes halfway up the sides of the souffle dish.
Bake until the custard is softly set in the center, about 1 hour.
Remove from the water bath.
Serve warm or at room temperature with Cranberry-Maple Sauce.
Once cooled, the pudding can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.
To reheat, cover with aluminum foil with several slits in it.
Bake in a preheated 350℉ (180℃) oven for 20 minutes.
Serve warm, or at room temperature with Cranberry-Maple CRANBERRY-MAPLE SAUCE: Bring the maple syrup and sugar to a boil in a small non-aluminum pan, then cook for 3 minutes. Add the cranberries and cook until their skins burst and they begin to pop, 6 to 8 minutes, or slightly longer if they are frozen. Cut the butter into 3 pieces. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the butter, 1 piece at a time, waiting until each is incorporated before adding another. Add the bourbon. Sauce can be served immediately or refrigerated for up to a week. Reheat gently and thin with 2 to 3 tablespoons water before serving.
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