Bread Pudding is one of Lidia Bastianich’s favorite desserts to make. It is not syrupy-sweet, which she likes, and once you have the basic recipe you can change the fruits and flavorings based on whatever you have at hand. She also loves the idea of not wasting but recycling day-old bread.
Ingredients (Serves 8)
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
- 2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 6 large eggs
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup milk
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 6 cups brioche or other rich egg bread, day-old, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1 cup plus 1/4 cup amarena cherries, drained of syrup
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds
Instructions for Chunky Cherry Bread Pudding
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bring a kettle of water to boil and keep it hot. Coat the bottom and sides of a 2-quart oval or rectangular baking dish with the softened butter. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the sugar on the buttered surfaces; tilt and shake the pan so it’s sugared. Stir together another 1/4 cup of the sugar with the cinnamon in a small bowl.
- Whisk the eggs in a large bowl until thoroughly blended. Gradually pour in the cream, milk, the remaining 3/4 cup sugar, the salt, and vanilla. Whisk until smooth. Stir the bread cubes into the custard, pushing them down so they’re all submerged. Let the bread soak for 15 minutes, then stir in 1 cup of drained cherries.
- Spoon the pudding into the baking dish. Then using 1/4 cup of the drained cherries place them on top for extra color, then scatter the almonds on top. Finally, sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar. Put the pudding dish inside a roasting pan, and set the pan in the oven. Pour the boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the baking dish. Bake the pudding until the top is golden brown and crusty and the custard is set, about 1 hour. (A knife blade inserted into the custard should come out clean.) Remove from the oven, and let the pudding cool in the water bath until you can safely remove it. Serve warm, with a dollop of whipped cream, a cherry and syrup drizzled on top.
- Enjoy Lidia Bastianich‘s Chunky Cherry Bread Pudding!
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