I must confess, my family hates raisins and refuse to eat even one. About five years ago, Lawyer Boy was in Lafayette, LA for a summer internship and we went to visit. We ate dinner at a wonderful restaurant called Prejean’s where we had gumbo, boudin, and bread pudding with rum sauce. Mr. Picky eater, Lawyer Boy, and I all picked out our raisins eating our dessert. While everyone loved bread pudding, no one wanted raisins so I tried all different kinds that I found on the Internet and nothing made them happy…….that is until I made one up. Before your eyes bug out of your head and it spins on its axis, read the entire recipe and try it – we love it so much that – diet or not, as soon as I finished taking that picture above? I stood in our front yard eating the bowlful! I would have licked the bowl clean but I was afraid there may be a neighbor watching me. Instead of raisins or cherries or chocolate or pumpkin I put in bacon and figs. Yep, bacon and figs and let me tell you, this is a fabulous combination!
Here is what you will need:
1 full loaf of French bread
4 eggs
2 Tablespoons butter, melted
2 Cups milk – I used evaporated
¾ Cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
¼ Cup chopped and rum soaked figs
½ Cup Bacon Bits – I used Oscar Meyer in the bag, but you can fry your own
First you chop the figs and put in a bowl with 3 tablespoons of rum.
Slice the crust off the bread.
Tear it up and put it in an 8×8 pan.
Set oven to 350 F.
Place room temperature eggs and sugar in a mixing bowl and mix on high for between 4-5 minutes, until light and fluffy. Then turn down to a lower setting and add milk, cinnamon, and vanilla.
Sprinkle the bacon and drained figs (reserve rum) on bread.
After mixture is whipped up, pour it on top of bread and then, using a spoon or spatula, press torn bread into liquid mixture until it is soaking.
Taking a Dutch oven (I also use the rack in bottom) set the 8×8 pan in and pour hot water ½ way up the side of the bread pudding pan.
Place in oven for 45 minutes until toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean.
While pan is sitting on wire rack cooling you can make the rum sauce:
You will need:
2 Tablespoons butter
1 Tablespoon of cornstarch
½ Cup sugar
1 Cup of milk – I used the rest of the 2nd can of evaporated milk
3 Tablespoons of Rum
Put butter in pot and melt. Mix cornstarch and sugar together then add to melted butter, stirring. Add Milk and stir steadily until it comes to a boil. Continue stirring until it thickens. Take off heat and add in the 3 tablespoons used to soak figs. Let soak a minute and then pour it over the bread pudding like this:
