Description
A comforting and rich dessert that combines day-old bread with a creamy custard infused with Irish whiskey, topped with a luscious caramel sauce.
Ingredients
Scale
- 8 cups day-old brioche or challah bread, cubed
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup Irish whiskey
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup granulated sugar for caramel sauce
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter for caramel sauce, cubed
- 1/2 cup heavy cream for caramel sauce, warmed
- a pinch sea salt
- 2 tbsp Irish whiskey for caramel sauce, optional
Instructions
- Cut day-old brioche or challah into roughly 1-inch cubes. Spread on a baking sheet and toast lightly in a 325°F (160°C) oven for about 10 minutes until just golden.
- Whisk together eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, salt, ground cinnamon, and vanilla extract in a large bowl until combined.
- Slowly whisk in whole milk, heavy cream, melted butter, and Irish whiskey until the custard is smooth and fragrant.
- Place toasted bread cubes into a prepared 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Pour custard evenly over bread, pressing down gently to soak all pieces. Let sit for at least 30 minutes or refrigerate overnight for deeper flavor.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Cover dish loosely with foil and bake for 35 minutes.
- Remove foil and bake an additional 15 minutes until the top is golden and custard is set but slightly jiggly.
- Prepare caramel sauce by melting granulated sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly until a smooth amber liquid forms.
- Remove from heat and stir in cubed butter until melted and combined.
- Slowly whisk in warm heavy cream (it will bubble), then add a pinch of sea salt and Irish whiskey if using. Stir until silky smooth.
- Let bread pudding cool for 10 minutes before drizzling generously with warm caramel sauce. Serve warm.
Notes
For a lighter version, consider using milk instead of cream. You can also make the pudding a day in advance and bake it the next day for enhanced flavor.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Irish
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 35g
- Sodium: 300mg
- Fat: 25g
- Saturated Fat: 15g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 55g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 8g
- Cholesterol: 150mg