As Part 2 of holiday recipes provided by Chef Barbara Lynch, here is a yummy Creamy Vanilla Bread Pudding that is sure to make your guests hungry for more during your holiday party! Check out her other recipe: Slow Roasted Beef Tenderloin with Thyme, also from Barbara’s book: Stir: Mixing It Up in the Italian Tradition. Devour and enjoy!
Rich and comforting, Creamy Vanilla Bread Pudding is another signature recipe and a dessert I make at the restaurant and when I entertain at home. At the restaurant, I always have to have a second pan of it for snacking as my chefs are always stealing little spoonfuls. I’ve also brought it to a family reunion, packing the caramel sauce I serve with it in a thermos. My favorite way to serve the pudding is with two sauces (the Caramel Sauce and the Fresh Fig Sauce) and a little Chantilly Cream, It’s just ridiculous how good the bread pudding is when served with these accompaniments, but you don’t have to go quite that all out. (As my chef-thieves will attest, the bread pudding is delicious on its own straight out the pan.)
Finally, this bread pudding is more about the creamy custard than it is about the bread. I like the double vanilla whammy of using both the vanilla bean and vanilla extract in the custard. However, if you don’t have a vanilla bean, you can simply double the amount of extract and skip the vanilla-bean steeping step.
Ingredients (Serves 8 to 10):
- 3 cups heavy cream
- 1 vanilla bean
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 5 cups cubed white bread, such as brioche or even Pepperidge Farm sandwich bread, about 5 slices
- 4 eggs
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon good quality vanilla extract
- Fresh Fig Sauce
- Caramel Sauce
- Chantilly Cream
Instruction:
In a medium saucepan, heat the cream over low. If using the vanilla bean, split it lengthwise with the tip of a paring knife and scrape the seeds out into the cream. (Add the bean to the pot, too.) Stir in the salt and cook the cream until warm to the touch. Take the pot off of the heat and let the vanilla bean steep for 1/2 hour to 1 hour.
Pile the bread cubes into a 9×13 baking dish, distributing them more or less evenly.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk together the eggs and sugar on medium speed the mixture is light yellow in color and falls from the beater in thick ribbons, about 5 minutes. Add the vanilla extract.
Remove the vanilla bean pod from the cream mixture and reheat it over medium. Do not let it boil, but do let it get quite hot. Remove the cream from the heat, and slowly pour 1 cup of it into the egg mixture while whisking constantly as you do to temper the eggs. Then pour the egg-cream mixture into the saucepan with the remaining cream and whisk it together. Strain the egg and cream mixture through a fine mesh strainer over the bread cubes in the baking dish. Give the pan a gentle shake to be sure all is distributed well and them let the bread absorb the custard for at least 30 minutes before baking. If baking the bread pudding right away, heat the oven to 350°F. If not, once cooled, cover it in plastic wrap and refrigerate it.
When ready to bake, set the bread pudding dish in a larger roasting pan. Add enough hot water until the water if halfway up the sides of the baking dish. Bake in the center of the oven until the custard is just firm, 50 minutes to 1 hour (begin checking earlier; give the pan a gentle shake and take it out of the oven when the custard is no longer jiggly). Let cool a bit and serve warm, room temperature, (or even cold). Put a serving in a large dish and top with both the Fresh Fig Sauce, the Caramel Sauce and a dollop of Chantilly Cream.
Make ahead: I think this actually tastes better the longer the bread soaks in the custard, so feel free to refrigerate it unbaked for as long as 24 hours.
You can also bake the bread pudding a day or two ahead; let it cool at room temperature before covering it with plastic wrap and refrigerating it. Take it out before serving and let it warm up a bit; you’ll taste the vanilla better if the pudding is not very cold.
Fresh Fig Sauce
Makes about 3 1/2 cups.
This sweet, slightly boozy sauce is also delicious over vanilla ice cream or if made with fresh cherries in place of the figs.
- 1 cup brandy
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 pint ripe fresh figs, preferably black mission, halved or quartered if large
In a medium saucepan, combine the brandy, 1 cup of water, and the cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until reduced by half. Add the figs and cook, stirring occasionally, until the figs soften and absorb the flavor of the liquid, about another 10 minutes. Serve warm.
Make ahead: You can make this sauce days ahead and keep it refrigerated. Reheat it gently before using it.
Creamy Caramel Sauce
Makes about 1 1/2 cups.
This caramel sauce is delicious on just about everything. If you want to be really nice, make some to give to a friend.
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup heavy cream
Combine the sugar with 1/4 cup water in a medium saucepan. Dissolve the sugar over medium heat, stirring until the mixture is clear. Increase the heat to high and cook, swirling the pan to cook evenly but no longer stirring, until the caramel is a deep amber. (Check the color by carefully drizzling some onto a white plate.) Don’t worry if the sugar hardens while cooking, simply stir it and continue cooking until it smoothes out. Take the pot off the heat and carefully whisk in the cream. The caramel will sputter so be careful as it’s very hot. Return the sauce to the heat and bring to a boil, whisking constantly, until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Let cool a bit before serving but serve warm.
Make ahead: Homemade caramel sauce is a delicious treat to keep in the refrigerator where it will last for months. Simply reheat it gently to serve.
Chantilly Cream
Makes about 1 1/2 cups
What sets this a little part from regular whipped cream is that its sweetened with confectioners’ sugar, flavored with vanilla, and whipped till almost stiff. One bite, and you may never go back to “regular” whipped cream.
- 1 cup cream
- 1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch kosher salt
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the cream, sugar, extract, and salt. (Or combine the ingredients in a regular large bowl and use a hand mixer or a whisk and a lot of muscle.) Whisk the ingredients together, gently at first, and then increasing the speed, until you can lift out the stopped whisk and leaves behind peaks just shy of firm. Be careful not to overbeat, however, or you’ll get very sweet butter.
Make ahead: This is best made just before serving, but it will keep pretty well refrigerated for an hour or two.
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