My mom always makes bread pudding on New Year’s Day. I only eat it once a year so I savor every last bite. A few days ago, after making some pecan coconut muffins with my daughter, I shared my disappointment over giving up my traditional yearly indulgence. Suddenly, we both looked at the muffins and realized we had the perfect bread for our bread pudding. We chatted back and forth with excitement over how we could develop the recipe and started giggling. I literally raced to the grocery store and back and whipped this up as fast as I could. The end result? There are no words. I’m so elated about this recipe, I’ve been skipping and humming around the house all day.
This dessert encompasses everything about the holidays to me. Sweet memories of family, cinnamon, nutmeg, a bit of sweetness in the form of a rich, indulgent gift. Everything you want in a holiday dessert. It takes a few steps, but rewards you richly for all the work.
Serves 6-8
Save RecipeIngredients
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 4 tablespoons brandy
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup maple syrup or honey
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 teaspoons nutmeg
- 1 1/4 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled
- 1 1/2 cups milk (can be substituted with coconut milk)
- 1 recipe of pecan coconut muffins , stale and broken into bite-size pieces
- 2/3 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon brandy
- 1 teaspoon Grand Marnier
- 2 tablespoons raw honey
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- 1 lemon (make sure it’s organic)
- 2 tablespoons raw honey
- 2 teaspoons arrowroot , dissolved in ¼ cup water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- For the Bread Pudding: Preheat oven to 350ºF and adjust rack to middle position. Heat raisins and brandy in a small saucepan until just simmering. Remove from heat. Place eggs in the bowl of a standing mixer and beat on high (using whisk attachment) for 3 minutes, until pale and frothy. Beat in the maple syrup, vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon, butter and milk. Drain the raisins. Place the stale, broken up muffins and soaked raisins in a large mixing bowl. Pour milk mixture over and toss gently. Pour into a buttered loaf pan and press gently press to make sure all pieces of muffin are in the liquid. Let sit on the counter for 45 minutes, pressing bread down every once in a while. Put in the oven and immediately reduce heat to 300ºF and bake for 40 minutes. Increase temperature to 425ºF and bake until pudding is well browned and puffy, about 10-15 minutes more (watch it to make sure it doesn't burn). Cool for 30 minutes.
- For the Chantilly Cream: Place the cream, vanilla, brandy and Grand Marnier in the bowl of a standing mixer, and whip on medium speed for 1 minute. With the mixer on medium speed, add the honey and sour cream and beat on medium just until soft peaks form, about 3 minutes. Do not overbeat.
- For the Lemon Sauce: Squeeze 2 tablespoons juice from the lemon halves and place juice in a 1-quart saucepan. Add the lemon halves, 1/2 cup water and honey and bring to a boil. Stir in the dissolved arrowroot and vanilla. Cook 1 minute over high heat, stirring constantly. Strain, squeezing the sauce from the lemon rinds. Serve warm.
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