'Totally Fab' Bread Pudding

( step-by-step pictures available at http://www.karenfreberg.com/FabBreadPudding.htm )

History

Bread pudding is as old as the making of bread. Wise Cooks not wanting to waste stale bread still use the crumbs in a variety of dishes including stuffing’s, fondue, sprinkled over many main dishes and bread puddings. Thanks to the ancient Romans and their love of omelets, bread pudding was never too far away!
 
History shows it in many forms all over the world as a simple and economical dessert dish. The ‘Epicurean’ along with other cookbooks over the last 150 years would often list it under their section “food for invalids.”
 
Purists resist additions to ‘fancy’ up a dish that was in essence a ‘poor folk’s dessert’; however, I cannot find a better way to honor the past than recreating and improving a simple dish.
 
Regional Preferences
 
South Africa has adopted the ‘Bread Pudding’ as one of their traditional dishes and it is fantastic. Although there isn’t one type of bread pudding in South Africa there are  several variations: one with a British flare ( with apricots), a Cape-Malay version and a superb Afrikaner pudding. Each is delightful.
 
Our Bread Pudding
 
 
In typical American fashion, we take what we think is the best from everyone and hopeful move it up a notch. I think the idea of throwing whatever cake or bread like material that is on hand into the recipe has merit. Adding wine or rum into the sauce to pour over the pudding is worthy as is adding white sultanas (soaked in brandy for a few days), dried blueberries and glazed diced pecans into the topping!
 
I added a taste of Rosewater as a homage to past and ancient recipes. btw, it is important to get over the notion that this must be a ‘frugal’ dessert. (Interestingly enough, we never had stale bread in our home... either it never was around to become stale or it was consumed anyway in one fashion or another!)
     
I enjoy sliced California Sour dough bread, although -by design- it takes much longer to go 'stale'... it is a wonderful addition! A french Bagette works nicely as well. Adding any ol muffins sweeten the dessert naturally.     


(MY apologies for my clumsy metric equivalents…)
 
INGREDIENTS FOR THE PUDDING
 
 ½ pound  (.23 kg) sliced muffins
1½   pound ( .68 kg) dried sliced bread with crust (the crust adds to the texture)
2 cups milk (472 ml) (boiled and infused with 2 vanilla beans, and spices)
3 cups heavy whipping cream ( 708 ml) ( 5 cups may be used and milk  omitted)
9 eggs
1  cup ( 236 ml) Baker's sugar
1 tbsp ( 4 ml) Rose water
4 tbsp ( 15 ml) Amarula
2 vanilla beans (slit and scraped for infusion in milk)
5 teaspoons (25 ml) spices (7 special dessert spices*)
½  cup (118 ml) melted butter
¼ cup apricot preserves (59 ml)  ( spread over bread prior to mixing)
1 cup Sultanas (236 ml)  (white raisins)
1  cup (236 ml) dried Blueberries
Salt to taste
 *My spice blend contains the following parts:
5 parts cinnamon
2 parts ginger
1 part mace
1 part cardamom
1 part nutmeg
1 part cloves
1 part allspice
 
     
Slicing and mixing the bread and the muffins the big three: white raisins ( after three days of soaking in Armagnac), blueberries and milk infused with vanilla and spices
   
Draining the berries soaked in brandy (save brandy for later)
   
Mixing the berries into the bread
 

Berries and bread scrambling the eggs ,scalding the milk... add sugar pouring the custard mixture over the patted down bread and berries
   
gently pat down mixture refrigerate and allow mixture to soak     

Now for the Topping!
After Cooking for one hour, mix the topping  and pour over the top
of the pudding and cook for an additional 20 minutes!
3 eggs,
2 tsp ( 10 ml) cinnamon ,
1/2 cup( 118 ml) brown sugar,
1/2 cup (118 ml) butter and
1 cup (326 ml) glazed slivered almonds**,
1 vanilla bean ( scraped)
** in a pan cook your almonds in the butter, cinnamon and brown sugar...
cool and add to your beaten eggs and vanilla
 
     
aaaah... for the sauce for the topping in the last 20 minutes
 
 
Have you made your own Glazed Almonds?
 
Sugar, Cinnamon     
Making the Sauce!
INGREDIENTS FOR THE SAUCE
 4 tablespoons ( 15 ml) butter
3 tablespoons ( 12 ml) Barenjager (Honey liquor)
1 cup  (236 ml) confectioner’s sugar
1/4 cup ( 59 ml) of Brandy (from soaking the berries)
1 tsp ( 5 ml) vanilla
½ cup ( 118 ml) heavy whipping cream
Arrowroot to thicken if needed ( heat as necessary to fully dissolve sugar into cream, add remainder of ingredients with Barenjager last… cool)
 
     
Soaking the raisins and the blueberries in brandy,
 strain the berries from the brandy, saving the
brandy for later soaking the vanilla bean seeds and spices
 in the fridge for a few days in milk     
   
PROCESS
 
A) Combine bread, milk (infused with vanilla bean), cream together, then add to beaten eggs and sugar and spices. strain berries saving the brandy
 Stir in melted butter, rose water, raisins and dried blueberries
 Pour into Casserole dish
 B) Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until knife inserted comes out clean
C) Spread the top of this with a layer of :
3 eggs, 2 tsp ( 10 ml) cinnamon , 1/2 cup ( 118 ml) brown sugar, 1/2 cup (118 ml) butter and 1 cup ( 236 ml) glazed slivered almonds, 1 vanilla bean ( scraped)
 D) Bake another 20 minutes
 E) Cool
F) Pour warm Sauce over bread pudding serving
 

The Bread Pudding fresh from the oven! a little ice cream and some nice sauce to complement the Pudding! 
Are we having fun yet?

my daughter Karen and my wife Laura enjoys their share!     
Deeeee-licious!

Nothing like a good bread pudding to take the chill off the day or night!

SPECIAL NOTE... this recipe may sound a little disjointed without the pictures... you can find it complete at : http://www.karenfreberg.com/FabBreadPudding.htm

Roger Freberg
San Luis Obispo, California USA