Grandma's old-fashioned bread pudding with vanilla sauce is a classic recipe that transforms simple ingredients like eggs, milk, and stale bread into a comforting treat. It's the perfect solution for using up bread that's past its prime, turning it into a delicious dessert, breakfast, or snack. Let's delve into making this traditional, heartwarming dish.
Why Bread Pudding?
Bread pudding is a clever and delicious way to give new life to stale bread. Across cultures, various dishes like panzanella, French toast, and croutons have been created for this purpose, but bread pudding is arguably the crown jewel of them all.
Choosing the Right Bread
For bread pudding, day-old or dry bread is ideal. It's best to use a loaf that you can slice or cube yourself. Sturdy, enriched breads like challah or brioche are great choices, but even toasted white bread will work. If your bread isn't dry enough, cube it and bake it in the oven for about 8-10 minutes to remove excess moisture.
The Recipe: Rich and Custardy Bread Pudding with a Delightful Vanilla Sauce
Ingredients:
4 cups (8 slices) cubed white bread
1/2 cup raisins
2 cups milk
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Sauce: 1/2 cup butter, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, 1 tablespoon vanilla
Preparation:
Pudding: Preheat your oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, mix bread and raisins. In a saucepan, heat milk and 1/4 cup butter until the butter melts. Pour this over the bread, letting it stand for 10 minutes.
Stir in sugar, eggs, vanilla, and nutmeg with the bread mixture. Transfer this to a greased 1 1/2-quart casserole dish and bake for 40-50 minutes until the center is set.
Sauce: While the pudding bakes, prepare the sauce. Combine butter, sugar, and heavy cream in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the mixture thickens and reaches a full boil, then remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
Serve the warm pudding in individual dishes, topped with the vanilla sauce.
This bread pudding, served with a luscious vanilla sauce, becomes a delightful dish that no one can resist. It’s a testament to the simple, yet profound joy of homestyle cooking. Enjoy the comfort and nostalgia of this classic bread pudding recipe.