Bread Pudding Recipe: New Orleans Style

Making bread pudding is an excellent way to yield a delectable dessert from stale leftover bread. Prepared by adding sugar, milk and spices, it was considered before as a poor man's dessert recipe because of its ingredients. At present, it is a favorite bread recipe for people who have a sweet tooth. The best part is you can make it in any flavor that you can think of and prepare bread pudding in the New Orleans style. Your friends and family members will surely ask for more, every time you serve it.

New Orleans Bread Pudding Recipe

There is something special about bread puddings made in the New Orleans style. After all, it is a traditional dessert in New Orleans, which is made in a unique way. You can serve this yummy dessert, after topping with milk, whipped cream or ice cream. If you happen to go there, do not miss the chance of tasting white chocolate bread pudding from New Orleans and bread pudding with caramel sauce New Orleans style. Presented below are some recipes that will open up your taste buds for more:

New Orleans Bread Pudding with Whiskey Sauce

Ingredients for Whiskey Sauce

• ¼ cup (half stick) unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup whiskey
• 1 large egg
• ⅔ cup sugar
• ¼ cup water

Ingredients for Bread Pudding

• 16 slices 1 day-old French bread (cut into ½ inch pieces)
• 3 large eggs
• ¾ cup plus 2 teaspoons sugar (divided)
• 2 cups half-and-half
• 1 cup heavy cream
• ½ cup raisins
• 1½ tablespoons vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg

Directions for Preparation

To make whiskey sauce, combine butter, sugar and water in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, till sugar is dissolved completely and bubbles are formed at the sides. Take another bowl and whisk egg with ½ cup of hot sugary mixture. Pour this egg mixture to the previous saucepan containing sugar and butter concoction. Stir and cook sauce over low heat for about 2 minutes. Remove it from heat and pour whiskey. With this, your whiskey sauce is ready.

Coming to preparation of bread pudding, preheat oven to 325° F and spray oil to a 2-quart baking pan. Lay half of the bread pieces in the pan and sprinkle raisins. Then add remaining bread and raisins randomly over this layer. Keep this ready, and work on the pudding recipe. In a saucepan, whisk together eggs, ¾ cup sugar, half-and-half, cream, vanilla, nutmeg and cinnamon. Pour this over the bread and allow to stand for 15 minutes. You can wrap a plastic sheet over the baking pan and put weight over it. This will help coat the bread pieces with egg mixture. Then, bake pudding for 20 minutes. Sprinkle remaining sugar and bake for another 40 minutes. Serve bread pudding with whiskey sauce on the sides. You can follow these tips for making New Orleans bread pudding with rum sauce.

New Orleans Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce

Ingredients for Bourbon Sauce

• ½ cup (1 stick) butter, melted
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 cup Kentucky bourbon whiskey

Ingredients for Bread Pudding

• 1 loaf French bread (preferably 1 day old, cut into 1-inch pieces)
• 3 eggs (beaten lightly)
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 quart milk
• 3 tablespoons butter (melted)
• 1 cup raisins (soak overnight in ¼ cup bourbon)
• ¼ teaspoon allspice
• 2 tablespoons vanilla
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon

Directions for Preparation

Let's make the bourbon sauce first. Preheat a saucepan and melt butter. Whisk sugar and egg in a small bowl and add-in the butter. Cook this mixture over a low heat, while stirring continuously. As the sauce thickens slightly, stir in bourbon to taste. Whisk mixture, so that it turns soft, creamy and smooth. Remove from heat and keep aside. For making bread pudding, preheat oven to 350° F. Soak bread in milk; if required, press bread slightly with the hand to absorb milk.

In a mixing bowl, combine together eggs, sugar, spice and vanilla. Beat well and add into the bread mixture. Stir in soaked raisins, you can use a spatula to blend this bread mixture. For the baking part, pour melted butter in a 9 x 13-inch baking pan. After spreading butter to the sides and bottom of the pan, add bread mixture and bake for 35-45 minutes, until the edges separate from the pan and turn brownish. While serving, drizzle bourbon sauce on top of the bread pudding.

So, this is how you can make New Orleans style bread pudding. For a different flavor, replace the dry fruits with fresh ones such as bananas, apples and blueberries. Also, you can try using any type of white bread instead of French bread while making bread pudding, New Orleans style.