OLD FASHIONED BREAD PUDDING

OLD FASHIONED BREAD PUDDING WITH VANILLA SAUCE

This Bread Pudding recipe has been in my family since 1938. We still make it. Yes, it’s just that good!

Over the years, my Mother’s recipe has been given a few variations by me:

1. Separating the eggs, and whipping the egg whites into a cloud of meringue which is gently folded into the bread and custard. It puffs up beautifully.
2. OR making the original recipe, and adding fruit.
3. OR changing the bread to leftover Cinnamon Rolls (with frosting) or Cinnamon Swirl Bread. Waste not, want not!

I will give the original recipe first. Then the variations – – – which were actually experiments that worked.

OLD FASHIONED BREAD PUDDING

2 cups day old white bread crumbs or cubes (Trim off the crusts and throw them away.)

1/2 cup sugar

2 cups heavy cream (Use milk if you don’t have cream.)

4 eggs

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

4 tablespoons soft butter

Pinch of salt

Mix together the cream, sugar, eggs, cinnamon, vanilla, butter, and salt. Soak the bread crumbs in this custard mixture. (Be sure to put it in the refrigerator while soaking.) Add a little chopped citron, candied fruit, fresh fruit, dates, or raisins, if desired. Pour into a buttered baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or more, till firm.

The bake time will vary depending on the size and shape of the pan you use and the way your oven runs. We used an 8 inch by 8 inch pan with tall sides. You can put it in individual baking cups. Sometimes the ones we used were in different sizes. Use what you have, and just keep an eye on the pudding so it doesn’t burn.

VARIATIONS

1. You can add 1/2 or 1 cup of chopped fruit (apple, peach, or pear). You will probably need to bake it a bit longer due to the moisture in the fruit.
2. I like to separate the eggs and just mix egg yolks in with the cream, spices, etc. While this is soaking into the bread, I also keep the egg whites in a separate bowl in the refrigerator, along with the beaters from my hand mixer. The beaters work better if they are well chilled. When the bread is well soaked, beat up the egg whites till they form high peaks. Very gently fold them into the bread and custard mixture so the egg whites don’t collapse.
3. Chopped pecans can be added if you just like a plain Bread Pudding with no raisins or anything else.
4. You can substitute the white sandwich bread with French Bread, Cinnamon Rolls, or Cinnamon Swirl Brad. If using frosted Cinnamon Rolls, you might care to cut back on the amount of sugar in the recipe. Depending on your taste for cinnamon, that can be adjusted as well.

Serve with Vanilla Sauce poured down into the middle of each serving of the pudding.

My favorite way to serve it is with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream. I have even been known to have this for breakfast!

VANILLA SAUCE

3/4 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon vanilla (You might like to substitute lemon extract or rum extract for the vanilla.)

Combine butter, sugar, and cream. Bring it to a boil. Cook for 5 to 8 minutes, stirring constantly, until thickened. Don’t let it burn. Remove from the fire, and stir in the vanilla. Serve warm over the Bread Pudding.

And as good as Vanilla Sauce is, some people prefer Caramel Sauce.

CARAMEL SAUCE

2 cups brown sugar

1 cup cream

2 tablespoons butter

1/4 teaspoon salt

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and cook over low heat. Stir constantly until thickened, syrupy, and smooth as silk.

HAPPY BAKING!  Susan

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