New Orleans-Style Bread Pudding

• servings: Makes 8 to 10 servings
• total time: 2 hours

Ingredients

BREAD PUDDING

1 quart whole milk

2 cups heavy cream, cold

1 cup granulated sugar

1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Grated zest of 1 orange

5 eggs, at room temperature

6½ cups torn stale crustless white bread (about 12 slices, torn into 1½-inch pieces)

Butter for greasing the pan

SAUCE

½ cup unsalted butter

½ cup light corn syrup

1 cup granulated sugar

¾ cup dark rum

¾ cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon kosher salt

Directions

In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, cream, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, orange zest, and eggs.

Stir in the bread pieces, cover, and let soak at room temperature for 30 minutes or refrigerate overnight.

Preheat the oven to 325°F.

Grease a 9 by 13-inch baking pan with butter and pour in the bread mixture.

Bake for 65 to 75 minutes, rotating the pan after 35 minutes, until golden brown and set in the middle. Set aside. In the meantime, make the sauce.

MAKE THE SAUCE

In a saucepot set over medium heat, cook the butter until it turns a light brown color with a rich, nutty aroma, about 5 minutes.

Add the corn syrup, sugar, rum, cream, vanilla, and salt. Simmer and reduce the sauce until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 15 minutes.

Remove from the heat.

Scoop a large spoonful of warm bread pudding onto serving plates. Ladle the sauce over the pudding and serve.

Notes

From: ‘The Good Book of Southern Baking’