Baklava Croissant Bread Pudding (with Honey Buttermilk Syrup

• portioner: 12 servings
• aktiv tid: 25 minutes
• total tid: 2 hours 3 minutes

Ingredienser

7-8 large croissants (22oz; ~620g), preferably dried out overnight and cut into 1” cubes

Vanilla ice cream, for serving

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

1/2 cup (168g) honey

6 tbsp (85g) salted butter, melted

2 tsp (4g) cinnamon

1 tsp (4g) vanilla bean paste or extract

Pinch of salt

2 cups (230g) chopped nuts of choice (traditional for baklava is pistachios and walnuts; I did an equal mixture of chopped pistachios, walnuts, and almonds)

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

1/2 cup (113g) salted butter

1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar

1/2 cup (168g) honey

1/2 cup (120ml) buttermilk [substitution: splash of lemon juice mixed with 1/2 cup (120ml) milk of choice; however buttermilk will give the best results]

Large pinch of salt

1 tsp (4g) vanilla bean paste or extract

1/2 tsp (3g) baking soda

Vejledning

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 croissants weren’t dried out overnight, start by lightly toasting them in the oven. Spread the croissant 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 croissant, 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, honey, melted butter, cinnamon, vanilla, salt, and chopped nuts. 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 baklava 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 croissant cubes into the bottom of the prepared pan, on top of the baklava mixture layer. Press down to compress. Evenly distribute about 1/2 of the remaining baklava mixture all over the top of the croissant cubes. Place another 1/3 of the croissant cubes on top, press down, and evenly distribute the last remaining baklava mixture on top. Finish by topping with the last 1/3 of croissant cubes and pressing down to compress. You should have done 3 layers of the croissant cubes and 2 layers of baklava 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 honey buttermilk syrup, prepare it towards the end of baking. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the butter, brown sugar, honey, buttermilk, and salt. Heat the mixture, stirring frequently until it comes to a boil.

Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and allow to simmer for 2-3 minutes. Then, remove from the heat and whisk in the vanilla and baking soda. The mixture will bubble and foam because of the reaction between the buttermilk and baking soda, so make sure your saucepan is tall enough to sustain that!

Whisk for 30 more seconds. At this point, you can either serve it straight from the saucepan or transfer to an airtight jar or container until ready to use.

Once ready, invert the bread pudding onto a serving plate. Slice and serve the bread pudding warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, a drizzle of the honey buttermilk syrup, and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt.

Enjoy!