BREAD PUDDING A LA PUERTA RICANA

BREAD PUDDING A LA PUERTA RICANA image

Yield 8 (if you're being piggy) - 18

Number Of Ingredients 15

1/2 c. raisins
1/3 c. dark rum
12 oz cubed stale french bread (no crust)
1 1/2 c. whole milk
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1 can cream of coconut
3 eggs
2 egg yolks
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp fresh grated nutmeg
1/4 c. butter
1 egg yolk
1/2 c. dark rum
1/2 c. light brown sugar
1 c. chopped pecans (optional)

Steps:

Bring raisins and 1/3 c. rum to a boil. Stir and then soak for at least 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375. Butter and sugar a 9x13" pan. Add 12 oz. cubed bread. Whisk together milk, 1/2 c. sugar, cream of coconut, eggs, 2 egg yolks, vanilla and nutmeg. Once smooth, add in liquored-up raisins. Pour over bread, pressing the cubes down so that they are covered. Put a kettle on to boil. Place a roasting pan large enough to hold the 9x13 pan in the oven. Cover bread pudding with aluminum foil and place in larger pan, then add boiling water. Cook 40 minutes, then uncover and cook 30 minutes or until golden. Toast pecans in a saucepan until they are fragrant and set aside. Make rum sauce by melting 1/4 c. butter then adding 1 egg yolk 1/2 c. rum and 1/2 c. brown sugar . Bring to a boil then simmer until the sugar dissolves and thickens a bit. Pour over the bread pudding, sprinkle pecans, and serve. Variation below: *If you want to serve this more formally, sprinkle the top of the bread pudding with brown sugar and melt it under the broiler very carefully (i.e., don't burn it). Give each plate a pool of rum sauce, place a square of bread pudding in sauce, sprinkle pecans on top, then garnish with whipped cream and grated nutmeg.