New Orleans Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce (by Emeril Lagasse)
- 1 teaspoon unsalted butter
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup bourbon
- 2 cups half-and-half
- 8 slices day-old French bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 4 cups)
- 1 cup raisins
- 1 recipe Spiced Cream, recipe follows
- Sprigs fresh mint
- Shaker confectioners' sugar
Grease a 6-cup (9 1/4 by 5 1/4 by 2 3/4-inch) loaf pan with butter. Whisk the eggs, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and bourbon together in a large mixing bowl until very smooth. Add the half-and-half and mix well. Add the bread and raisins, and let the mixture sit for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
Pour mixture into the prepared pan. Bake until the pudding is set in the center, about 55 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes. To serve, cut the pudding into 1-inch thick slices. Lay each slice in the center of each serving plate. Spoon some of the Bourbon Sauce over the pudding. Top with the spiced cream. Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint and confectioners' sugar.
Spiced Cream:
- 1 quart heavy cream
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Beat the cream with an electric mixer on high speed in a large mixing bowl for about 2 minutes. Add the sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg and beat again until the mixture thickens and forms stiff peaks, another 1 to 2 minutes.
Yield: 4 cups (about 10 servings)
Last updated: December 21, 2003