Bread pudding has long been a great treat for using up leftover bread scraps in your kitchen. Not everyone is a fan of bread pudding, but there are some variants of this recipe that are better than others. I’ve discovered one recipe that is refreshing and fruity that gives me more ideas when to serve this sweet dish aside from just the holidays.
A new way to enjoy bread pudding
I started to do some digging about the history of bread pudding and found out it’s been around for a lot longer than I imagined. Bread pudding is actually a celebrated dish that appears all over the world within many countries that have mastered making bread. It’s not only popular in England, it can be found as far as India, Egypt, and the Middle East. Of course, there is a version from Mexico, yet most of us know the popular version from New Orleans.
What all of these versions of bread pudding often include is the addition of sugar and syrup, some handy cream, and sometimes bits of nuts. What they all include is universal and such a great way to make the most of old bits of bread that just aren’t good for anything else besides breadcrumbs or croutons. Somehow, adding a few sweet spices with nutty goodness and creamy sauce transforms bland bread into a flavor bonanza.
Now, I’m not a huge fan of bread pudding even though I love raisins and nuts… But adding a generous amount of fresh fruit seems to take the edge off of the mushy custard-like texture that most bread pudding recipes all seem to offer. Here’s one of my favorites that is perfect anytime you’re looking for a sweet bread pudding to snack on.
Strawberry Brioche Bread Pudding
Equipment
- Glass baking dish
- large bowl
- Mesh strainer
- Roasting pan
- Toothpick
- Oven
Ingredients
- ¼ Cup Dark brown sugar (packed)
- 4 Cup Brioche bread/egg bread (-inch cubes)
- 7 Large eggs
- 2 Cups Half and Half (creamer)
- 1 Cup Whole milk
- 2 Tablespoons Granulated sugar
- 2 Teaspoons Vanilla extract
- ¼ Teaspoon Cinnamon (ground)
- 2 Pinches of salt
- 2 Fresh strawberries (sliced/hulled)
Instructions
- The first thing you’ll want to do is have a glass baking dish that1s at least 8-inches by 8-inches and is 2-inches deep. This dish should be able to hold 9-10 cups and is usually used for casseroles. Start with adding the brown sugar along the bottom of the dish and then add the bread cubes scattered over the top of the brown sugar.
- Into a large bowl, combine all of the milk, eggs, cream, sugar, cinnamon, salt, and vanilla extract, and whisk this mixture until it’s nice and blended. This mixture is now essentially your custard mixture and should be poured over an open mesh strainer so it drizzles onto the bread cubes slowly and evenly.
- When this is complete, layer your strawberries over the top of the soaking bread in a decorative pattern. You might need to push the bread cubes down if they float up, but sooner or later they will absorb the custard. All this to stand for 30 minutes until nothing is rising up and has settled more to the bottom of the casserole dish.
- You will need to preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and place the casserole dish into the center rack. It’s better if you put the glass dish into a roasting pan that’s slightly larger than the casserole dish and fill this halfway with warm water. This will help reduce the heat from the oven from totally melting the brown sugar on the bottom.
- Allow the bread pudding to brown on top and help set the entire mixture of bread and custard. You’ll know it’s completely baked by placing a toothpick into the center and it can be removed with nothing sticking on the toothpick. Let the bread pudding cool for 1 to 1 hours inside the water pan before removing it from the oven.
- Use a spoon to scoop out the finished bread pudding onto a serving plate while it’s still warm. Enjoy!
