Best Praline French Toast Bread Pudding Recipes

Praline French Toast Bread Pudding image

Provided by Alan Rosen

Yield Makes 8 generous servings

Number Of Ingredients 14

One 1-pound loaf challah (preferably the braided one) or brioche
8 extra-large eggs
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
For the Praline Topping
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
3/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoonsn maple syrup for drizzling

Steps:

1. Generously butter a rectangular baking dish (13 x 9 x 2 1/2 inches); use the prettiest one you have. Set out a large shallow pan for the water bath. Cut the bread across into 3/4-inch-thick slices. If you are not using a braided bread, cut slices into four triangles each. Arrange bread slices in rows, leaning and overlapping them, if necessary.
2. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the eggs on high until light golden and slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Beat in the cream, milk, granulated sugar, vanilla, salt, and nutmeg. Pour over the bread in the dish, lifting the bread up slightly to pour between the slices and letting the custard soak in (this is important; see The Junior's Way).
3. Using a pastry cutter or two knives, combine all praline topping ingredients, except syrup. Using your hands, spread the mixture over the top of the soaked challah, pushing some down between the slices. Cover the plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or preferably overnight.
4. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Remove the plastic wrap and drizzle the maple syrup over the top. Place the dish in the center of a larger pan. Pour hot water into the pan until it comes 1 inch up the side of the baking dish. Bake until the pudding is puffy, souffléd, and golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes (don't let it overbake or get too brown). Touch it: The top should be spongy, not dry or crusty. The bread pudding is best served piping hot, right out of the oven.

Maple-Pecan Praline Topped French Toast Bread Pudding image

Provided by Lelandra

Categories Dessert

Time 9h15m

Yield 1 casserole, 8 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 9

4 cups stale bread (measured when cut into 1 inch cubes)
5 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup half-and-half
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 cup chopped pecans

Steps:

The night before you want to eat this, grease a baking dish. I use a 9x9 glass baking pan (2 qt) so that the resulting product will be coffee cake height. If you use a 9x13 pan, you won't need to bake it on a cookie sheet to catch drippings (or clean the oven afterwards), but will have a flatter casserole. Cube the bread and spread it evenly in the pan. In a medium bowl, whisk together the custard (eggs, milk, half-and-half and vanilla). Pour over the bread cubes, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight/8 hours.
The next morning, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a small bowl (I use the pyrex 4-cup measuring cup I used to melt the butter in the microwave), combine the topping ingredients (melted butter, brown sugar, syrup and pecans). Spoon topping over bread and custard mixture. In the 9x9 pan, it will cover the custard completely.
Bake in preheated oven until golden, about 40 minutes. Bake it on top of a cookie sheet if you are using a 9x9 pan or you will have melted butter spattered all over the bottom of your oven afterwards.
When you take it out of the oven, the butter will still be bubbling. Let it rest at least 5 minutes, and it will be reabsorbed into the casserole, and you will have a nice crunchy topped casserole that holds together when cut into.