Have you had your fill of cherries yet? Yes, that’s not a serious question, of course not, can you really have enough of this delicious fruit when it’s only around for such a fleeting time. They’ve actually only begun showing up in the markets near me about two weeks ago, I know, so I’m getting in my cherry fix as much as I can. Freshly eaten as a snack, or even an entire meal while flambéing even more of these cherries for bread pudding. Yes, not only are we making the classic and fancy dessert restaurants often create into an elaborate fire show, but were pouring this heavenly cherry sauce atop decadent bread pudding cups.
This weekend is Memorial Day, do you have plans to hit the beach or barbecue with loved ones? If you are grilling it up, as I am, then you know I’m already figuring out what sweet treats to bring to the party. Unless it’s a pie, because there’s nothing more like kicking off summer with a beautiful pie, when it comes to outdoor gatherings, I perfect serving individual desserts. It’s perfect for passing around, you can eat it while having your summer cocktail in the other hand, and there’s no fuss of a plate and cutlery, when you could be playing a fun game or just relaxing. 
Bread pudding isn’t your typical Memorial Day dessert, but it’s a classic, and when cherries are a plenty, you must eat them as much as possible and use them however many ways you can cook them! I had an extra loaf of my Easter favorite, Portuguese sweet bread purposely frozen with the intent of making bread pudding. This traditional Easter bread is like an Brioche and Challah, so you already know it’s going to delicious.
Ingredients {Makes 18 cups}
3 cups – Organic Cane Sugar
10 large – Eggs {beaten}
2 cups – Milk
1 cup – Heavy Cream
1 T – Pure Vanilla Extract
8 cups – Brioche or bread of choice, left out overnight in a bowl to stale {cut into 1/2″ cubes}
Cherries Jubilee, recipe below
Recipe
Preheat oven to 350*F, and lightly spray then line two regular size cupcake pans with parchment paper cups. Place cubed bread in a large bowl.
In a bowl, mix the sugar, eggs, heavy cream and milk together until well combined, then stir in the vanilla. Place liquid over cubed bread and let sit at least 10 minutes.
Pour about 1/2 cup of the bread mixture into the prepared pans. Pour a heaping tablespoon of the cherry jubilee mixture, over each bread pudding cup, dispersing the remaining liquid atop each. Bake until set, rotating halfway {about 45 minutes}. Remove from oven, and allow to cool slightly. Dust with confectioners sugar, and served best warm or at room temperature. Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 4 days.
Cherries Jubilee
Ingredients
1 pound – Fresh, Ripened Cherries {washed + pitted}
1/2 cup – Organic Cane Sugar
1 – Lemon
1 oz Rum, of choice {You can also use Bourbon}
Recipe
Place the cherries and sugar in a large skillet. Peel 2 lemon zest strips, add to the cherries, along with half the lemon juice and mix well. Cook the cherries over medium low heat until the sugar dissolves {about 4 minutes}. Increase heat to medium high and cook until cherries get juicy and slightly thickened {about 5 minutes}.
To flambé, pull the pan off the heat and add the rum. Ignite the alcohol with a long match then swirl the pan slightly until the flames subside {about 30 seconds}.
Serve immediately over bread pudding, ice cream, or dessert of choice!
