Whiskey Bread Pudding

Every year I feel like the holidays come and go in the blink of an eye.  Before you know it, Christmas is over, New Year's Eve is upon us, and everyone jumps on their resolutions for the new year.  One of my resolutions is to make my mom's Whiskey Bread Pudding.

For the past few years the Whiskey Bread Pudding has been a Christmas Eve dessert staple in our household, and this year certainly did not disappoint!  While bread pudding may not seem like the most exciting or exotic of desserts, it is certainly quite delicious.  So delicious in fact that there were hardly any leftovers for the next day.

So friends, before those resolutions kick in and we all start our detox cleanses of 2011, I give you Whiskey Bread Pudding.

Whiskey Bread Pudding (adapted from this recipe here)

Bread Pudding Ingredients:
12 to 14 cups 1-inch cubes day-old French bread
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
4 cups 2% milk
6 large eggs
1 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
4 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup raisins or currants
Whiskey Sauce for topping (see below)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the bread in a large bowl. Grease a 9 by 13-inch casserole dish with the remaining tablespoon of butter and set aside.

Combine the milk, eggs, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and raisins in a large bowl. Whisk to mix. Pour the mixture over the bread, and stir to combine. Allow the mixture to sit at room temperature for 30 to 45 minutes.

Ooey, gooey, bread deliciousness

Transfer the bread mixture to the casserole dish and bake until the center of the bread pudding is set, 50 to 60 minutes.  Remove from oven and let bread pudding set an additional 20-30 minutes to allow the bread to fully absorb the mixture.  Drizzle with Whiskey Sauce and a dollop of whipped cream.

Whiskey Sauce:

2 cups whipping cream
1/2 cup 2% milk
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
2 tablespoons tapioca starch
3/4 cup whiskey (Seagram's goes nicely with this)

In a 1-quart saucepan set over medium heat, combine the cream, milk, and sugar. Place the tapioca starch and 1/4 cup of the whiskey in a small mixing bowl and whisk together.

Cream sauce in action

Directions:

Pour the whisky mixture into the saucepan and bring to a boil. Once the sauce begins to boil, reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.  The sauce should be thick, not watery.

Remove the sauce from the heat, add the salt, and the remaining 1/2 cup of whiskey.  Drizzle over bread pudding and serve warm.