Bread Pudding With Warm Bourbon Sauce

This recipe comes from Bon Appetite, September 1999.

• Ready In: 1 hr 10 mins
• Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 4  large eggs
• 1  cup  whole milk
• 1  cup  whipping cream
• 1⁄4 cup sugar
• 1  teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1  pinch salt
• 4  cups  cinnamon-raisin bread (day old bread with crusts, cut into 1/2-inch pieces)
• 1⁄2 cup pecans, toasted, chopped

• Bourbon Sauce

• 1⁄4 cup unsalted butter
• 1⁄2 cup sugar
• 3  tablespoons  whipping cream
• 2  tablespoons Bourbon
• 1  pinch salt

Directions

1. Butter 8-inch square baking dish.
2. Whisk first 6 ingredients in medium bowl. Place bread and pecans in prepared dish. Pour milk mixture over and let stand 5 minutes.
3. Push down bread into custard.
4. Refrigerate 2 hours, pushing bread into custard occasionally.
5. Preheat oven to 375°F
6. Place bread pudding in large metal baking pan.
7. Add enough boiling water to baking pan to come 1 inch up sides of dish with bread pudding.
8. Bake until pudding is puffed and golden brown on top, approximately 50 minutes. Remove dish with bread pudding from water and cool slightly.
9. Cut into squares. Serve bread pudding warm with sauce.
10. To make the bourbon sauce:.
11. Melt butter in small saucepan over medium heat.
12. Whisk in remaining ingredients.
13. Simmer until thickened, whisking often, about 3 minutes.
14. Cool slightly.
15. Place some of the sauce on top of a square of bread pudding.
16. **Cook time does not include refrigeration time of 2 hours.