Toasted Bread And Butter Pudding

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Toasted Bread and Butter Pudding

It's a gloomy day here in The South. And though I went for my daily anger run on the treadmill and was bullied (with love), by my dear friend Fitness Instructor to attend her morning class, I still found myself unhinging for a fundraising hot dog for lunch.

Hours later I again found myself needing a feeding. So before I slipped into a shame spiral of Netflix viewing for the evening I continued my quest to use only what I have on hand. Have you figured out how lazy I am when it comes to grocery shopping? And to think I used to do it for a living. 

The end result was bread pudding. Folks down this way love their bread pudding. And on more than one occasion I have heard the harsh whisper of "it's good, but it's not my momma's". And since my momma didn't make bread pudding growing up I went to one of my books of worship and asked one of our chosen people for inspiration. 

Ruth came through (not Biblical Ruth - though I image she has a good kugel recipe or two up her robe). 

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Toasted Bread And Butter Pudding

Recipe from The Gourmet Cookbook by Ruth Reichl

ingredients

3 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, well softened

12 (1/2-inch-thick) slices challah or firm white sandwich bread

3 cups half-and-half

4 large eggs

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

instructions

Put a rack in middle of oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 3-quart shallow baking dish.

Butter both sides of bread and arrange in one layer on a large baking sheet. Bake, turning once, until lightly toasted, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool on a rack. (Leaving oven on.)

Whisk together half-and-half, eggs, sugar, vanilla, and salt in a medium bowl until sugar is dissolved. Halve toasted bread slices diagonally and arrange triangles in rows, overlapping slightly, in buttered baking dish. Pour custard evenly over toast and let stand for 15 minutes.

Put baking dish in a larger baking pan and add enough boiling water to reach halfway up sides of baking dish. Bake until custard is set 2 to 3 inches from edges but still trembles in center, 50 to 60 minutes (custard will continue to set as it cools). Serve warm.

***notes on recipe: I used a cubed brioche in place of challah. Topped with mixed berry compote.

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