Pecan Sticky Bun Bread Pudding

• porce: 12 servings
• aktivní čas: 25 minutes
• celkový čas: 2 hours 5 minutes

Ingredience

12-15 (14oz) thick-cut slices of brioche bread, preferably dried out overnight, cut into 1” cubes

Vanilla ice cream, for serving

1 cup (220g) brown sugar, light or dark (I did a mixture of both)

6 tbsp (85g) salted butter, melted

2 tsp (4g) cinnamon

1 tsp (4g) vanilla bean paste or extract

Pinch of salt

2 cups (205g) chopped pecans

1 cup (240ml) milk of choice

1 cup (240ml) heavy cream

4 eggs, at room temperature

1/4 cup (55g) granulated sugar

2 tbsp (28g) salted butter, melted and slightly cooled

1 tsp (4g) vanilla bean paste or extract

1 tsp (2g) cinnamon

Large pinch of salt

1/4 cup (85g) maple syrup

3 tbsp (55g) smooth, creamy almond butter

2 tbsp (25g) avocado oil or melted coconut oil

Large pinch of salt

Pokyny

Grease a 9” round (or 8” or 9” square) baking pan with cooking spray, then line with a sheet of parchment paper, making sure it is tall enough to drape over the edges. Place onto a baking sheet; set aside.

If your bread wasn’t dried out overnight, start by lightly toasting it in the oven. Spread the bread cubes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350F for 7-10 minutes, until LIGHTLY toasted; you want to be careful to not bake the bread, you just want a light toast on the outside! Remove from the oven and set aside to use later.

In a medium bowl, combine the brown sugar, melted butter, cinnamon, vanilla, salt, and chopped pecans. Mix until well combined. Then, spread a little over half of the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan in an even layer (reserve the remaining pecan mixture of layering and filling the bread pudding later). Set aside.

In a large bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the milk, heavy cream, eggs, sugar, melted butter, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt until well combined. Make sure to whisk well, you want to make sure that there are no ribbons of egg. Set aside.

Place 1/3 of the bread cubes into the bottom of the prepared pan, on top of the sticky pecan layer. Press down to compress. Evenly distribute about 1/2 of the remaining sticky pecan mixture all over the top of the bread cubes. Place another 1/3 of the bread cubes on top, press down, and evenly distribute the last remaining sticky pecan mixture on top. Finish by topping with the last 1/3 of bread cubes and pressing down to compress. You should have done 3 layers of the bread cubes and 2 layers of sticky pecan filling (not counting the layer at the bottom).

Pour the vanilla bean custard all over the bread, making sure all of the pieces are well-soaked. With the back of a wooden spoon, gently press down on the bread to make sure there are no dry parts.

Cover the pan with foil and let rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. *At this point, you can place into the refrigerator covered overnight, or bake right away.*

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Once ready, remove the foil from the top and bake at 350F for 55-60 minutes, until the top is golden and set, but the middle is still slightly wobbly when shaken. Remove from the oven and let rest for at least 10-15 minutes.

If you are planning on serving the bread pudding with the easy homemade salted caramel, prepare it while the bread pudding is cooling. In a medium bowl, mix together the maple syrup, almond butter, avocado or coconut oil until well combined and smooth. You can adjust the runniness and saltiness to your liking by adding more maple syrup and salt, if desired (go off of your preferred taste).

Once ready, slice and serve the bread pudding warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, a drizzle of homemade salted caramel (if desired), and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt.

Enjoy!