Looking for a great way to use up the leftover bread? Make comforting bread pudding. I let my bread get stale just to make this timeless recipe.
Frugal cooks have been making this concoction since the 11th century. It was their way of using up stale bread.
Waste not want not.
In 13th century England bread pudding was known as “poor mans pudding,” due to its lower class association.
Flash forward to now and it is known to be a comfort food. Lots of countries have their version of it with different breads, but it still the same concept of recycling the stale bread.
Here I made it with leftover Italian bread and made it in the slow cooker for even more convenience. You can mix it up, add other fruit if you wish. The Southern Bourbon Sauce brings it over the top delicious!
Slow Cooker Bread Pudding with Southern Bourbon Sauce
Ingredients:
10 cups or a loaf of large Italian bread cut into bite size pieces
1 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup raisins
1 small apple grated
7 eggs beaten
3 cups milk
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
Southern Bourbon Sauce
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/4 cup Bourbon (Woodford Reserve)
Directions:
Cut up the bread into bite size pieces and sit on the counter to get hard for a few hours or preferably over night. Spray the bottom of the slow cooker with cooking spray and add the bread. In a large bowl combine sugar, cinnamon, raisins, apple, eggs, milk and vanilla. Whisk to combine. Pour batter over bread and push down to ensure all the bread is moistened. Allow to set on the counter for 10 minutes. Cover and cook on low 3-4 hours or on high 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Turn off the slow cooker and remove the base.
If you want your bread pudding toasty, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place the stoneware in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until top is lightly toasted. Serve with Southern Bourbon Sauce.
Southern Bourbon Sauce
Combine sugar and butter in a sauce pan. Allow the butter to melt and the sugar to dissolve. In a small bowl beat egg. Add a bit of the butter mixture to the egg to temper it. When mixture hot enough add the egg to the sauce pan. Remove from the flame and pour in the Bourbon. Add back to the flame and cook another 5 minutes or until the alcohol has evaporated from the sauce.
Peace be with you,
Veronica
