Custard Bread Pudding

Bread puddings are very versatile and easy desserts, that can be made even by the most inept cook. The addition of custard makes the bread pudding luscious and creamy in texture. Old-fashioned custard bread puddings are the ultimate in comfort foods. Children as well as adults enjoy this tasty pudding.

Chocolate Custard Bread Pudding

Everybody loves dessert that contains chocolate. This chocolate custard pudding uses dark chocolate chips and has a very gooey texture.

Ingredients

• ½ cup demerara sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups milk
• 1 cup dark chocolate chips
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• ½ tablespoon nutmeg powder

Method

Arrange the four slices of bread in a platter and pour a little cold water over it. Squeeze out the water from the bread and keep it aside. In another bowl, separate the egg yolks and add demerara sugar, milk and vanilla extract. Melt the chocolate chips in a double boiler and add this melted chocolate into the egg and milk mixture. In an oven proof dish, place the moistened bread and pour over the chocolate and egg mixture. Place this oven proof dish in a pan containing water and bake it in an oven at 300º C for an hour. Chill the pudding in the refrigerator and serve in individual dessert bowls with whipped cream.

Banana Custard Bread Pudding

This banana bread pudding is a variation of the simple egg custard pudding. The addition of bananas to this pudding gives it a delicious flavor and very good consistency.

Ingredients

• 4 firm bananas, sliced
• 2 cups brown sugar
• ½ cup unsalted butter
• 250 ml skimmed milk
• 2 cups bread crumbs
• 4 eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons corn flour

Method

In a small saucepan, mix together the brown sugar, a pinch of salt and the corn flour. To this, very slowly add the milk. Now cook this mixture over a medium heat, stirring continuously with a ladle, so that the mixture does not burn. In a medium-sized bowl, separate the egg yolks and keep it aside. Take some of the milk and corn flour mixture with the help of the ladle and add it into the egg yolks. Stir this mixture until the egg yolks blend well with the milk, then return it back into the saucepan. Keep on stirring the mixture and remove from heat when you have the desired consistency. Now add the vanilla extract and butter and let the mixture cool down.

In a greased shallow baking dish arrange the bread cubes and the banana slices. Pour the custard mixture over the bread and bake it in an oven at 350º C for 45 to 50 minutes.

Blueberry Custard Bread Pudding

This is a very scrumptious variation of a vanilla custard bread pudding recipe. The addition of blueberries gives it a delicious tartness and adds flavor to it.

Ingredients

• ¼ cup unsalted butter
• 4 tablespoons maple syrup
• 2 slices of bread
• 1 ½ cups blueberries
• 2 cups milk
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 4 egg yolks
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Method

In a small saucepan, mix together the sugar, maple syrup and the butter. Now cook this mixture over a medium heat, stirring continuously with a ladle until the sugar is fully dissolved in butter. Remove from the flame and pour this mixture into a greased baking dish. Now scatter the blueberries over this and arrange the bread slices over the blueberries.

In another bowl combine the milk, egg yolks and vanilla essence, until everything is well blended. Pour this mixture over the bread and bake it in an oven at 320º C for 40 to 45 minutes. To serve, invert this pudding carefully into a platter and sprinkle with some icing sugar.

The most wonderful thing about making a bread pudding is that there can be many variations. You can also enhance the flavor and texture of the bread pudding by adding nuts and pistachios as well as different types of fruits.