posted by Rusty 01-05-103 9:33 PM
Eggnog Bread Pudding
8 slices bread, 1 - inch thick
3 cups whipping cream
1 large whole egg
3 large egg yolks
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup rum
1/2 cup raisins
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Remove the crusts from the bread slices. Dice the bread into 1 - inch cubes and toast until golden brown, about 8 minutes.
Whisk together the cream, whole eggs, egg yolks, 1/2 cup sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, and 1 tablespoon of rum.
Combine the bread cubes and the cream mixture.
Steep the raisins in 1 cup of very hot water. Drain the raisins when they have plumped and reserve the soaking liquid. Add the raisins to the bread mixture.
Spoon mixture into soufflé cups. Place custards in a deep baking pan and fill with hot water to the depth of
1/2 inch. Bake until a knife inserted in the center of the custards comes out clean, about 30 minutes.
Combine the reserved raisin soaking liquid and remaining sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly, over high heat.
When the sugar becomes amber, very carefully stir in the water. Return to a simmer and cook until the mixture becomes the consistency of syrup.
Stir in the remaining rum and return to the heat for 15 seconds. Remove the saucepan from the heat and flame
the sauce with a match. Pour the flaming caramel over the puddings and serve.
Eggnog Bread Pudding
Yield: 8 servings
Pudding:
3 lg Eggs
1 lg Egg yolk
3/4 c Sugar
4 tb Unsalted butter; melted
1 3/4 c Half-and-half
3 tb Brandy
2 tb Pure vanilla extract
3/4 ts Freshly grated nutmeg
1/8 ts Salt
6 sl Dry cinnamon raisin bread - quartered
Cranberry Maple Sauce:
1/3 c Pure maple syrup
2 tb Sugar
1 1/2 c Cranberries - if frozen, do not thaw
3 tb Unsalted butter
1 1/2 tb Bourbon
Preheat oven to 350F 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 350F oven for 20 minutes. Serve warm, or at room temperature with Cranberry-Maple Sauce.
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.