“If there’s no bread pudding in heaven, I’m not going.” – Unknown
Who knew stale bread could be so tasty? There’s a long history for a lot of food staples. Bread pudding is no different. Bread pudding dates back centuries.
Years ago, in England, bread pudding was known as “poor man’s pudding.” A dish that was very popular with the lower class. I’m sure a lot of families in Newfoundland and Labrador could relate throughout the years and are well versed in the making of and devouring of bread pudding.
Years ago food wasn’t wasted like it is today. God forbid you would even dare to leave food on the plate. In saying that, with large families, there was probably just enough food to go around the table let alone have enough for seconds.
When bread became dry or stale — it was given a second life. A second life that is so tasty it’s still baked today in many homes and restaurants.
Unlike the 11th or 12th centuries, it’s more luxurious nowadays. You may notice that it’s made with fancy bread like brioche, artisan or croissants. They’re even made with fancy cheese and ingredients like gruyere, parmesan, pecans and a variety of berries.
“In moments of considerable strain, I tend to take to bread-and-butter pudding. There is something about the blandness of soggy bread, the crispness of the golden outer crust and the unadulterated pleasure of a lightly set custard that makes the world seem a better place to live.” – Clement Freud
Savoury or sweet? Yes, bread pudding comes in many forms. Actually, bread pudding, quiche and strata are cousins. For instance, you can make spinach and cheese bread pudding, bacon bread pudding, asparagus bread pudding, brioche pudding with prosciutto.
That’s just a taste of the savoury recipes.
As for sweet – similar to savoury, the ideas are endless. You can make anything from salted caramel bread pudding, banana bread pudding, apple pie bread pudding, mixed berries bread pudding and old fashioned bread pudding which includes raisins.
Yuk! I know, I know. I can do raisins in tea buns but not it in my bread pudding. No thanks.
Yes, I’m the one that will pick them out and have a little pile on the side of my plate. I don’t know what it is about raisins in my bread pudding but I just can’t.
Do you make one big serving of bread pudding or divided the mixture into several dishes for variety? That’s what I did last weekend. In most cases, the base mixture is comprised of milk or tin milk, cream, eggs, white or brown sugar and vanilla. I mixed these together and cut up my French loaf in small cubes. For one dish I used blueberries, for another I used chocolate chips, then raspberries and an apple pecan for the fourth.
The only one that required a little extra love was the apple pecan. I sliced my apples and put them in a bowl with cinnamon, brown sugar and vanilla to let them marinate for a little while as I prepped the others.
Oh, the deliciousness of a good bread pudding sauce. Hot butter rum sauce is to die for! Custard is also a favourite for many.
The same goes for a good vanilla sauce or just drizzle maple syrup or pancake syrup. As I write this I’m chuckling to myself because you may as well throw the diet or calorie counting out the window when making a sweet bread pudding with sauce.
Don’t let that scare you though because it’s certainly fit to eat and a recipe you should happily indulge. Like everything else, eat it in moderation. But I do encourage seconds, if they exist. Served with whipped cream, Fussell’s cream or ice cream. Mixing in a bit of rum to the cream adds a tasty flavor too.
“The proof is in the pudding.” – Unknown
The process of making bread pudding is super simple and there’s a ton of recipes online. The one tip I find super helpful is how you prep the dish before putting your ingredients in. Spread a thin layer of butter all over the dish and then sprinkle sugar around to coat all areas. This is the perfect way to avoid burning your pudding on the bottom or having to scrap it out of the dish. I’m just going to say it now — you’re welcome!
Happy baking and enjoy to the fullest.
Erin Sulley is a self-confessed foodie who lives in Mount Pearl. Email [email protected]Twitter: @ErinSulley Instagram: @erinsulley
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