Bread Pudding with Whiskey Sauce
I come from a long line of hard-working farmers. My mom’s side of the family grew cotton in the Alma and Telico areas of Texas, while my dad’s family grew tobacco in North Carolina. If you don’t know anything else about the South, know that cotton and tobacco put us on the map. Cotton and tobacco are very labor-intensive crops that lacked any innovations to make them easier to grow until recently. This means that my grandparents picked knee-high cotton by hand and my grandma picked tobacco worms off leaves one by one into a bag for burning. With hard working people usually comes hearty appetites; this is why the South gives us rich desserts. Bread pudding is a perfect example of this. It consists of stale bread drenched in custard, topped with a sugary sauce. If you feel guilty about eating it, you’re probably not working hard enough.
| Bread Pudding with Whiskey Sauce |
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- FOR THE BREAD PUDDING:
- 9 ounces fresh sourdough artisan bread (~7 slices)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
- 1/4 cup chopped pecans
- FOR THE WHISKEY SAUCE:
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons whiskey
- First, you need to ensure your bread is stale. I do this by chopping it into 1” cubes and letting it sit out overnight on the counter. If you’re in a hurry, toast the bread cubes in a low oven (200°) until the bread is dry throughout.
- Butter a glass baking dish that has a 3-cup capacity. Arrange the stale bread cubes in the dish evenly.
- Next, whisk together in a medium bowl the eggs, milk, vanilla, sugar and cinnamon (if using). Pour this mixture slowly over the bread cubes and press the cubes down into the custard. Sprinkle the pecan pieces on top.
- Let it soak while you preheat the oven to 325°.
- Place the baking dish on a small sheet pan and bake for 30-40 minutes. Baking time varies based on staleness of bread. It’s done when the edges are light brown, the middle is slightly puffed and a few pricks reveal no runny egginess.
- Let cool while you make the sauce.
- Melt the butter, sugar and heavy cream together in a small saucepan over low-heat. Once the sugar is dissolved, turn off the heat and stir in the whiskey. Serve the sauce with the bread pudding while warm.
Can’t ever go wrong with whiskey! This looks DIVINE.
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“If you feel guilty about eating it, you’re probably not working hard enough.” – AMEN. I seriously think this statement alone could fix the obesity problem in America. As someone who spends way too much time in front of her computer, I know for a fact that this is something I desperately need to work on. However, I’m not going to feel guilty about at least *looking* at this gorgeous bread pudding, and maybe even hitting print
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Oh, I love this bread pudding. That whiskey sauce is PERFECT for it!
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[...] new-to-me blog which I’ve added to my reader. Check out this delicious Bread Pudding with Whiskey Sauce by [...]
This looks amazing. I have linked to this post in today’s Delicious Links roundup
Happy Monday!
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Great post. My wife and I have lived in the South for six years now and definitely have a new appreciation for bread pudding. Love your sauce.
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I’m addicted to bread pudding and love the sauce you’ve made this with. Definitely will be trying this soon!
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Absolutely drool-worthy. I love bread pudding
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This bread pudding looks delicious, love the whiskey sauce…so comforting. Hope you have a wonderful week ahead Christina
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Okay seriously, that looks so good! I love bread pudding. Just found you, think I’m gonna have to do some browsing
Love,
Dana
TheSundaySweet
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Can you believe I’ve never had bread pudding! You make it sound amazing and whiskey sauce, oh yeah!
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wow! you got me craving for some of this right now! this looks really awesome:) your photos are so pretty .. thank you for sharing this Christina and have a great day.
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I love bread pudding…and WHISKEY! Wahoo! Can’t wait to try.
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I have never made bread pudding, and I have only had it once … but based on your pictures – that HAS to change!
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Oh! This looks delicious! I’ve never tried whiskey sauce, but it sounds like an interesting twist to an old classic!
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Wooow. Bread pudding is one of my go-to dishes – sweet or savory – and this version looks incredible!
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Dangit I just got back from the grocery store. Wish I’d seen this before I went cuz I’d be making it tonight! So glad I found your site, thanks!!
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I loved reading about your family history. Nice to combine nostalgia with dessert…
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Oh my word do I LOVE bread pudding.This looks incredible. The whiskey sauce is calling my name!
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Bread pudding is my favorite dessert!!!
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Not only do I love this recipe, but I love the story behind it. Family history and regional history combined with humor at the end. You really are a great writer, Christina! Mr. Schalk would loveeee this bread pudding! Must add it to my rotation ASAP.
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[...] adapted from Dessert for Two, originally “Bread Pudding with Whiskey [...]