I have often wondered what it is about bread pudding that draws people in and mesmerizes them. When my mom would make my grandmother’s recipe when I was young, there were never any leftovers… not even a crumb in the pan. The pastry chef at a restaurant I worked would make multiple pans of bread pudding as a special dessert and it would be gone well before dinner service ended. Guests would order one for dessert and another to take away.
One afternoon when I was in my 20s, I started craving the bread pudding my mom always made. I called her and got the recipe, ran to the store for a few items, and returned home to embark on making bread pudding. I was floored when I realized that it is not difficult, it doesn’t have exotic ingredients or lengthy wait times, and I did it all by myself on the first try. The way I had seen people adulate over it you would think that it was like making baklava with all its time and tediousness!
INGREDIENTS:
FOR THE PUDDING:
1 (1-pound) loaf (4 cups) French bread – cubed 1 1/2 inches
1/2 cup raisins (golden raisins are my favorite.)
2 cups milk
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs – slightly beaten
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
FOR THE VANILLA SAUCE:
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
DIRECTIONS:
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