I avoided bread pudding for most of my life but tried it in London in 2005 and loved it; I'd like to make it and would be interested in select recipes.

My preference is for a smoother, more souffle-like bread pudding -- more dense and packed (not the right word) ... less rustic.

Does anyone have any recipes or tips they'd like to share? Thanks in advance.

The Joy of Cooking has some good bread pudding recipes. I tend to split the difference between her basic recipe and her "New Orleans Style" recipe. Once you understand the basic parameters, it's a recipe that tolerates a lot of variation in the ingredients.

A few variations that I like:
Layer sliced bananas between the layers of bread and serve with a rum-chocolate sauce.

Serve the basic recipe with a whipped cream with rum, brown sugar and bananas mixed in. This is a perennial favorite at my office Christmas party. You can put enough rum in the whipped cream to cop a small buzz.

try this book allso,

The New Best Recipe
(from the editors of cook's Illustrated)

quote:

Originally posted by HaleyBettis:
I avoided bread pudding for most of my life but tried it in London in 2005 and loved it; I'd like to make it and would be interested in select recipes.

My preference is for a smoother, more souffle-like bread pudding -- more dense and packed (not the right word) ... less rustic.

Does anyone have any recipes or tips they'd like to share? Thanks in advance.

It's simple to make English Bread Pudding.

Make a simple egg custard by beating 6 eggs together with 3 heaped tablespoons of sugar. Beat until almost white. In the meantime heat a pint of cream and a pint of milk until just about to boil. Add this heated milk and cream to the egg mixture slowly and when it's all incorporated put the custard on a gentle heat and add a good teaspoon of vanilla extract. I've also added white chocolate and Bailey's irish Cream if you want to go decadent ! Let the custard thicken until it coats the back of a spoon.

In an ovenproof dish place buttered bread cut into triangles. Butter the bread and cut it diagonally in half. You can also use Brioche or even croissants, but normal bread is best. I sprinkle the bread with some raisens or currents. Pour the custard over the bread and leave it until the bread soaks up the custard.

Bake the bread pudding in a water bath in a moderate oven (350F) until it's fluffed up and golden brown on top.

Serve with any custard you may have left, or good vanilla icecream.

Wine pairings...over to the board for suggestions

Below is one of my favs...the raisins could be omitted:

Bread and Butter Pudding Served with Clotted Cream and Compote of Apricots

SERVES 4 – 6


Clotted cream is essential for this recipe, from Paul Heathcote's Rhubarb & Black Pudding: A Year in the Kitchen of Lanshire's Star Chef (Fourth Estate, 1998), by Matthew Fort.


FOR THE COMPOTE OF APRICOTS:
9 oz. dried apricots
1⁄2 vanilla pod
Zest of 1⁄2 orange
1⁄2 cinnamon stick


FOR THE PUDDING:
5 thin slices of white bread, cut on a diagonal
5 tbsp. butter, softened
3 1⁄2 oz. (2⁄3 cup) sultanas (golden raisins)
8 fl. oz. (1 cup) cream
8 fl. oz. (1 cup) milk
3 eggs
2 oz. (1⁄4 cup) sugar
1 vanilla pod
1 oz. (2 tbsp.) icing sugar (confectioners' sugar)
1 oz. (2 tbsp.) apricot jam
7 fl. oz. clotted cream


1. At least 2 hours ahead, make the compote of apricots: Bring 9 fl.oz. (about 1 cup) water to the boil and pour over the apricots in a heat-proof bowl. Leave to stand for about 30 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients, pour into a pan and bring to the boil. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Leave to cool and remove the vanilla and cinnamon.


2. Preheat the oven to 375°. Butter the bread and remove the crusts. Place one layer of bread on the base of a 10" × 6" × 2 1/2" rectangular earthenware dish and cover with a layer of sultanas. Place the rest of the bread on top.


3. Mix the cream, milk, eggs, and sugar, and pass through a sieve. Slice the vanilla pod down the centre and scrape out the seeds. Add to the custard mixture and pour over the bread. Allow to soak for 5 minutes.


4. Place the dish in a bain-marie and cook in the oven for about 30 minutes. Remove and allow to cool for about 15 minutes.

5. Preheat a hot grill (broiler). Dust the pudding with icing sugar and glaze under the grill until golden (if it starts to soufflé, remove from the grill and let it cool a little longer before repeating the glazing process).

6. Spread the top with the apricot jam and serve cut into wedges, with a quenelle (three-sided oval) of clotted cream (mold it with 2 tablespoons) and the compote of apricots. Spoon some English custard (crème anglaise) around the plate, if you like.

Great tips and recipes, thank you.

Layer of bananas sounds like a nice variation.

Cutting off crusts makes sense for less rustic.

I would probably omit the raisins.

In whatever recipe you choose, keep the raisins, but soak for a few hours first in 1/4 to 1/3 cup of good bourbon. Then add an equal amount of brown sugar and add the entire thing to the egg mixture and bake. Lovely!

My wife makes most of the desserts in our house. When raisins are used, she normally soaks them in apricot brandy.

For the ultimate (but not very traditional) bread pudding recipe go to gumbopages.com and get the White Chocolate Bread Pudding recipe. It's a specialty of the Palace Cafe in New Orleans and is unbelievable.

This one is always a hit. We make it for Christmas Brunch and the kids and I make it for my wife on Mother's Day:

Sour Cherry Chocolate Croissant Bread Pudding
1 bag (375 G) mini croissants (about 24)
6 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
2 cups of sour cherries, drained
2 cups whipping cream
1 cup milk
5 eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tbsp vanilla

Grease a 13 x 9-inch glass baking dish; set aside.

Slice 16 of the croissants in half lengthwise; set tops aside. Cube the remaining croissants and bottoms; place in prepared dish. Sprinkle with half each of the chocolate and sour cherries; stir to combine. Arrange croissant tops attractively over surface. Sprinkle with remaining chocolate and sour cherries.

In bowl, whisk together cream, milk, eggs, all but 1 tbsp of the sugar and vanilla; evenly pour over croissants. Cover tightly with foil; refrigerate for 2 hours. (Make Ahead: Refrigerate for up to 12 hours.)

Using spatula, gently press croissants into cream mixture; sprinkle with remaining sugar. Loosely cover with foil; bake in centre of 350 F oven until puffed, about 40 minutes.

Uncover and bake until golden brown and knife inserted in centre comes out clean, about 10 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving. Makes 12 to 16 servings.

emailed you my recipe.

If you can find the Paul Prudhomme recipe for bread pudding with lemon sauce and Chantilly cream (Grand Marnier), it is quite good.