Bread Pudding

When I started to think about recipes I could share that might help people through hard times, I started thinking beyond casseroles and things and decided I wanted to share some different recipes from across the board to see if I can help people make the most of what they have and maybe even make dinner time more interesting to help get through the rough times we are finding ourselves in.

Bread pudding is one of those recipes that I've known about since I was a kid.  Oddly, my mom didn't make it (I am thinking she might not have liked it) that I remember, but my friend's mom did.  I was over at her house one day and she gave me a piece to try and I fell absolutely in love with the custardy concoction.  When we moved to Pennsylvania my grandma would make bread pudding from time to time and I was always so thrilled to pour some of her vanilla syrup or some maple syrup on top and eat it with gusto.  When she showed me how to make it, I was enthralled that it was there to stop bread from going to waste and also was a really cheap way to fill you up when times were tight.  Since then I have made bread pudding on and off for years, usually when money was tight and I had some bread to use up (go figure *laugh).  

When I made some bread pudding out of some rolls that I feared were going to go moldy, I immediately felt a need to share this recipe, so here you go.  Bread pudding is seriously one of the easiest recipes you can make truly.  If you feel a need to throw some nuts into the mix, feel free, but I am a purist and like to eat it as is. 

Bread Pudding:

Ingredients:

• Enough Bread, torn into bite sized pieces, to fill a 7x11" baking dish (you can also do an 8x8 or even add more milk and eggs and put it in a 9x13 pan...the recipe is really easy to adapt to your needs).  I used 2 large hard rolls for this recipe and it filled the 7x11" baking dish just fine.  I'd say 4 to 6 slices of stale bread would give you about the same result.
• 3 TBS of butter, melted (this just adds extra flavor, so you can omit if money is really tight)
• 4 to 6 beaten eggs (depending on what you can spare).  I like 6 as it makes the pudding really custardy textured in the end.
• 2 cups milk
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup sugar (depending how sweet you want it)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon (you can reduce down to 1 tsp if you don't want a heavy cinnamon flavor.  I love cinnamon, so I use 2)

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2.  Coat your baking dish with non-stick spray.

3.  Tear your bread and place it in your pan.  I like to tear the bread directly into the pan to save myself time.

4.  Pour the melted butter over your bread in the pan and mix the butter into the bread pieces a bit (just adds a bit of flavor to the finished dish and helps to crisp the top a bit)

5.  Mix the eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla and cinnamon in a large bowl.  Pour mixture over the bread in the baking dish (try to get a good even soaking over the surface).   

6.  Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 to 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.  The top of the pudding will also spring back if you push it down with the back of a spoon.  The mixture may look a little jiggly as you pull it from the oven, but don't worry as it is a custard and will set up the rest of the way as it cools.  You will also notice that the pudding kind of collapses as it cools as well.  This is normal as the custard mixture cools.

7.  Wait for the mixture to cool a bit before serving, so it will be easier to cut. Put leftovers in the fridge (I like to reheat pieces in the microwave to serve later).   I also will freeze it for 6 months or so.  Just wait for it to cool, refrigerate to get it cold, cut it into single serving squares and wrap each square in plastic wrap.  Then place pieces in a freezer bag and store in the freezer for 3 to 6 months.

I like to eat mine with maple syrup, but you could make buttermilk or vanilla syrup or even put jam or jelly on top (my friend's dad did that) for a fruity bread pudding.  

Enjoy!