Description
This classic New Orleans Style Bread Pudding is a rich and comforting dessert featuring stale French bread soaked in a spiced custard with raisins, coconut, and pecans, baked to golden perfection and served warm with a luscious Bourbon whiskey sauce.
Ingredients
Scale
Bread Pudding
- 10 ounces stale French bread, crumbled (or 6-8 cups of any bread; reduce milk to 3 cups if using fresh bread)
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 3 eggs
- 2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup raisins
- 1 cup shredded coconut
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 4 cups milk
Joe’s Whiskey Sauce
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 egg yolks
- 1/2 cup Bourbon
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Dish: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and butter a 9×13-inch baking dish to prevent sticking and prepare it for the bread pudding.
- Mix Bread Pudding Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the crumbled bread, granulated sugar, melted butter, eggs, vanilla extract, raisins, shredded coconut, chopped pecans, cinnamon, nutmeg, and milk. Mix thoroughly until the mixture is very moist but not overly soupy.
- Bake the Bread Pudding: Pour the prepared mixture evenly into the buttered baking dish. Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the pudding is fully set.
- Prepare Whiskey Sauce: While the bread pudding bakes, make Joe’s Whiskey Sauce by creaming the butter and powdered sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat using a hand-held mixer until the butter is fully absorbed. Remove from heat and whisk in the egg yolks. Gradually stir in the Bourbon constantly until the sauce thickens as it cools.
- Serve: Serve the warm bread pudding topped generously with Joe’s Whiskey Sauce for a rich, flavorful finish.
Notes
- For best texture, use stale French bread as it soaks up the custard better without becoming too soggy.
- If using fresh bread, reduce the milk quantity to 3 cups to prevent the pudding from being overly wet.
- You can substitute Bourbon with dark rum or another spirit if preferred.
- Ensure the whiskey sauce is cooled slightly so the egg yolks don’t scramble when added.
- This pudding tastes even better the next day as flavors meld, and can be reheated gently before serving.
