Last year for Neighbor Gifts, I made a darling little "Bread Pudding Ornament" that we assembled
with our girls on Christmas Eve Day morning, and then we delivered them that afternoon.
They were unbaked so that our neighbors could choose whether to bake them up fresh
that evening before bed, or have a yummy hot treat in the morning for breakfast or brunch.
They were a big hit. I'm pretty well known around here for my Bread Pudding.
I rarely make it the same way twice, and I never use a recipe.
But, because I recognize that not everyone is able to just throw one together,
I'm going to share my technique and tips for making any number of flavors of Bread Pudding!
This photo below was from another time that I did assembly line Bread Pudding.
These tins did not come with a lid, so I had to wrap each one with foil. For my neighbor gifts,
I get the great set of tins from the dollar store that comes with a lid, so I really prefer those.
This photo below was from another time that I did assembly line Bread Pudding.
These tins did not come with a lid, so I had to wrap each one with foil. For my neighbor gifts,
I get the great set of tins from the dollar store that comes with a lid, so I really prefer those.
It looks like this is a Blueberry, Coconut, White Chocolate Flavor.
It also appears that I used a couple different types of bread and rolls.
That's the beauty of my technique...you can add whatever flavors your heart desires,
or just simply whatever you have leftover from other recipes!
This is a very basic recipe which is easy to adapt and everyone can make this. It's foolproof!
I often give my Bread Puddings un-baked and include the instructions for baking.
See the notes at the end of the recipe for all my flavor tips!
Bread Pudding Basic Recipe
Makes one 9x13, two 8" pans, 8 mini bundts, OR 3-4 small gift tin size
~ 1 dozen rolls or croissants, or 1 large loaf of French Bread....or any combination
of breads, as long as it equals 6-8 cups of cubed or torn bread (full 8 cups if using
straight croissants). DAY OLD is best!
~ 6 Large Eggs
~ 1 cup Brown Sugar or white if preferred, or a blend (see NOTES)
~ 1 tsp Fine Sea Salt (regular if you don't have it, but don't leave out the salt)
~ 3 cups Liquid (see NOTES)
~ 1-2 tsp Vanilla or other Extract/Flavorings (see NOTES)
~ Add-ins of choice (see NOTES)
~ Cooking Spray for pan
Tear or cut bread into large cubes into a large bowl (wide, if you have it).
In a separate bowl, beat eggs until smooth. Blend in Sugar until dissolved. Add Salt.
Whisk in Liquids and Flavorings.
Pour half of the liquid mixture over the bread cubes and gently toss. Add remaining liquid.
Gently stir in any add-ins.
Allow to rest for 20 minutes before pouring into pan/s. Don't forget to use cooking spray!
Bake at 380°on the center rack for 30-45 minutes, or until roughly doubled in size
and slightly hollow-sounding when tapped.
NOTES:
~ I prefer to use a combo of Croissants and other breads. The texture is just perfect when I do so, in my opinion.
~ I typically use Brown Sugar because I like the flavor more and it works best for Caramel base flavors. If you're not using a Flavored Creamer in your liquid base, you'll need to add more sugar.
~ I always use Flavored Coffee Creamers in my bread puddings. I mix them with equal parts whole milk, and half & half, or Cream. There are lots of flavors to choose from! You can use just milk, cream etc but your flavoring/extracts will need to be increased.
~ Even though there is flavor in the creamers, I still add some depending on my flavor profile. If nothing else, at least add Vanilla. Or Almond. Or both.
~ The sky is the limit on the add-ins you can incorporate! Think of what is in your favorite cookie and add that. Fresh or Frozen Fruits can also easily be added. Literally...if you can dream it, you can make it in a Bread Pudding! Get innovative!
~ Always keep refrigerated until baking if not baking immediately after preparing.
~ Always refrigerate uneaten portions.
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