Cooks Illustrated Bread Pudding Food

THE BEST BREAD PUDDING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon butter.
• Toast the bread cubes on a baking sheet until they start to dry and harden, about 20 minutes. Set aside. Raise the oven temperature to 325 degrees F.
• Whisk together the cream, milk, sugar, vanilla bean seeds, salt, cinnamon, eggs and yolks in a large bowl. Add the bread to the bowl and stir until completely coated. Cover and let soak for 30 minutes, pushing the bread down occasionally so that it is completely covered.
• Pour the bread mixture into the prepared baking dish. Microwave the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a small microwave-safe dish until melted, about 1 minute. Drizzle the butter over top of the custard and then sprinkle with the turbinado sugar. Bake until the custard is set and the top is golden brown, 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour and 30 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature.

BREAD PUDDING WITH SPICED RUM SAUCE

Steps:

• Butter 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Whisk eggs in large bowl to blend. Add milk, sugar, cream, and vanilla; whisk to blend well. Stir in bread and raisins. Pour mixture into prepared baking dish. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake pudding uncovered until puffed and golden, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Cool slightly (pudding will fall). Serve warm with Spiced Rum Sauce.

BREAD PUDDING II

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Break bread into small pieces into an 8 inch square baking pan. Drizzle melted butter or margarine over bread. If desired, sprinkle with raisins.
• In a medium mixing bowl, combine eggs, milk, sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla. Beat until well mixed. Pour over bread, and lightly push down with a fork until bread is covered and soaking up the egg mixture.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until the top springs back when lightly tapped.

ULTIMATE CHOCOLATE BREAD PUDDING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 9-in. springform pan with 1 tablespoon butter. Cube remaining butter; place in a small saucepan. Add chocolate chips and brown sugar. Cook and stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat., In a large bowl, whisk eggs, milk, vanilla, espresso powder and salt. Gently stir in bread; let stand until bread is softened, about 15 minutes. Fold in chocolate mixture. Transfer to prepared pan. Bake, uncovered, until a knife inserted in center comes out clean, 45-55 minutes. Cool on a wire rack 15 minutes., Meanwhile, for sauce, heat cream in a small heavy saucepan until bubbles form around sides. In a small bowl, whisk together egg yolk, brown sugar and salt. Whisk a small amount of hot cream into egg mixture; return all to pan, stirring constantly. Cook and stir until mixture is thickened and coats the back of a spoon. Stir in butter. Fold in pecans and coconut. If desired, stir in brandy. Cool., For whipped cream, beat cream until it begins to thicken. Add confectioners' sugar and, if desired, brandy; beat until soft peaks form., Loosen sides of pan with a knife. Carefully run a knife around edge of springform pan to loosen; remove rim from pan. Serve pudding warm with sauce and whipped cream.

ULTIMATE CARAMEL BREAD PUDDING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°F.
• Spread 1 c Caramel Sauce in bottom of 13 x 9 pan. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• Cut bread into 1-inch cubes. Any large loaf will do, but a nice French bread, or a Challah work especially well.
• Spread bread cubes onto sheet pan in a single layer. Brown in oven for about 10-12 minutes.
• Reduce oven to 325. Don't forget this step (the voice of experience speaks)!
• In a medium bowl, mix eggs, half-and-half, vanilla and salt. Add 1 1/2 c caramel sauce to this mixture.
• Place bread cubes in a very large bowl and pour mixture over cubes. Toss gently until all cubes are coated.
• Let stand 20 minutes, gently mixing occasionally. Be sure that there are no dry cubes!
• Spread the soaked bread over the caramel in the 13 x 9 pan.
• Bake at lower oven level for 45 minutes.
• Let cool 30 minutes and serve, drizzled with remaining caramel sauce.

SIMPLE BREAD PUDDING

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a small saucepan over low heat, warm milk, butter, vanilla, sugar and salt. Continue cooking just until butter melts; cool. Meanwhile, butter a 4-to-6-cup baking dish and fill it with cubed bread.
• Add eggs to cooled milk mixture and whisk; pour mixture over bread. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes, or until custard is set but still a little wobbly and edges of bread have browned. Serve warm or at room temperature.

CLASSIC BREAD PUDDING

Steps:

• Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish; set aside. Put bread in a large bowl; set aside. Heat milk and cream in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until just about to simmer; remove from heat.
• Whisk eggs, yolk, sugar, salt, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a medium bowl. Whisking constantly, pour cream mixture in a slow, steady stream into egg mixture. Pour over bread; fold to combine. Let stand 30 minutes, tossing and pressing occasionally to submerge bread.
• Meanwhile, soak raisins in 1 cup boiling water for 30 minutes.
• Drain; stir raisins into bread mixture. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. With a slotted spoon, transfer bread to buttered dish; pour liquid in bowl over top. Using spoon, turn top layer of bread crust side up.
• Set dish in a roasting pan; transfer to oven. Pour boiling water into pan to reach about halfway up sides of dish. Bake until golden brown, about 50 minutes. Let dish cool on a rack 10 to 20 minutes.

COOKS ILLUSTRATED BREAD PUDDING

Steps:

• 1. Adjust oven racks to middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 325 degrees. Combine brown sugar and 1 T granulated sugar in small bowl; set aside. 2. Spread bread cubes in single layer on 2 rimmed baking sheets. Bake, tossing occasionally, until just dry, about 15 minutes, switching trays from top to bottom racks halfway through. Cool bread cubes about 15 minutes, set aside 2 cups. 3. Whisk yolks, remaining 3/4 cup sugar, vanilla, and salt together in large bowl. Whisk in cream and milk until combined. Add remaining 8 cups cooled bread and toss to coat. Transfer mixture to 9x13 pan and let stand, occasionally pressing bread into custard, until cubes are thoroughly saturated, about 30 minutes. 4. Spread reserved bread evenly over top of soaked bread and gently press into custard. Using pastry brush, dab melted butter over top of unsoaked bread pieces. Sprinkle brown sugar mixture evenly over top. Place bread pudding on rimmed baking sheet and bake on middle rack until custard has just set and pressing center of pudding with finger reveals no runny liquid, about 45 to 50 minutes. Transfer to wire rack and cool until pudding is set and just warm, about 45 minutes. Bourbon Brown Sugar sauce 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar 7 T heavy cream 2 1/2 T unsalted butter 1 1/2 T bourbon (or rum) Whisk brown sugar and heavy cream in small saucepan over medium heat until combined. Continue to cook, whisking frequently, until mixture comes to boil, about 5 minutes. Whisk in butter and bring mixture back to boil; about 1 minute. Remove from heat and whisk in bourbon. Cool to just warm; serve