Bourbon Bread Pudding
Serves 8 to 10
Cooking Time 3 to 4 hours on Low
Slow Cooker Size 5½ to 7 Quarts
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS: The slow cooker works its magic on this humble dessert, keeping it moist and melding
all the ingredients together perfectly, no water bath required. We took this dessert
up a notch by spiking the custard with bourbon and tossing in toasted pecans for a
subtle crunch. Using stale challah ensured that it didn’t turn to mush when combined
with the custard (a combination of egg yolks, half-and-half, brown sugar, bourbon,
vanilla, and a bit of orange zest for brightness). Letting the challah sit in the
custard for 10 minutes ensured that the bread really soaked it up. Cinnamon sugar
and toasted pecans made the perfect topping, and lining the slow cooker with foil
prevented our bread pudding from overcooking on one side. A drizzle of Bourbon Sauce
added even more richness to individual servings of this homey dessert. For more information
on making a foil collar click here and for more information on staling bread click here, respectively. Don’t let this bread pudding cook longer than 4 hours or it will become
dried out and rubbery. See the sidebar that follows the recipe.
|
4 |
cups half-and-half |
|
1½ |
cups packed (10½ ounces) brown sugar |
|
9 |
large egg yolks |
|
½ |
cup bourbon |
|
1 |
tablespoon vanilla extract |
|
2 |
teaspoons grated orange zest |
|
¼ |
teaspoon salt |
|
14 |
ounces stale challah, cut into 1-inch pieces |
|
⅔ |
cup pecans, toasted and chopped |
|
1 |
teaspoon ground cinnamon |
1. Line slow cooker with aluminum foil collar and spray with vegetable oil spray. Whisk half-and-half, 1¼ cups sugar, egg yolks, bourbon, vanilla, orange zest, and salt together in large bowl until sugar is dissolved. Stir in challah and let sit, pressing on bread occasionally, until custard is mostly absorbed, about 10 minutes.
2. Combine pecans, cinnamon, and remaining ¼ cup sugar in separate bowl. Transfer soaked bread mixture to prepared slow cooker and sprinkle with pecan mixture. Cover and cook until center is set, 3 to 4 hours on low. Let bread pudding cool for 20 minutes before serving.