DRUNKEN BRANDY-PEACH BREAD PUDDING

Drunken Brandy-Peach Bread Pudding image

Categories Bread Sauce Dessert Bake Peach Brandy Boil

Yield serves 12 to 14 with leftovers

Number Of Ingredients 14

Ingredients

Peach Bread Pudding
2 cups granulated sugar
4 cups half-and-half or heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 large eggs
1 loaf challah or French bread, cut or torn into 2-inch chunks
3 cups chopped fresh peaches (about 6 peaches)
1 cup pecan halves
Peach Brandy Sauce
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup firmly packed golden brown sugar
1 large egg
Pinch of kosher salt
1/4 cup peach brandy or liqueur of your choice

Steps:

TO MAKE THE BREAD PUDDING: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 by 13-inch baking pan with butter or cooking spray. Mix the granulated sugar, half-and-half, and cinnamon in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir occasionally until the sugar dissolves. (No need to boil the mixture.) Remove the saucepan from the heat.
Whisk the 3 eggs in a bowl until the whites and yolks are combined. Pour about 1/4 cup of the hot cream mixture into the eggs, whisking as you pour. (This tempers the eggs, which keeps them from curdling when they are mixed into the hot cream mixture.) Pour the tempered egg mixture into the cream mixture left in the saucepan and whisk until the sauce is smooth.
Gently combine the bread cubes and peaches in a large bowl. Spoon into the prepared pan. Pour the sauce over the peach-bread mixture and let sit for about 30 minutes to let the sauce soak into the bread. Sprinkle the pecans on top.
Bake until the pudding is firm and lightly browned on top, about 1 hour. Cut into squares and serve warm or at room temperature with warm Peach Brandy Sauce.
TO MAKE THE PEACH BRANDY SAUCE: Melt the butter and brown sugar together in a saucepan set over medium heat. Remove the mixture from the heat. In a bowl, whisk the 1 egg with a fork. Temper the egg by adding about 2 tablespoons of the butter-sugar mixture to the egg and whisk constantly until the egg is incorporated. Pour the tempered egg mixture into the saucepan with the remaining sugar-butter mixture and whisk until the sauce is smooth. Add the salt and whisk in the brandy. Keep the sauce warm until ready to serve. Pour it over the bread putting as soon as it comes out of the oven.
do it early
The bread pudding can be made up to 12 hours in advance, covered, and refrigerated. Warm in a 300°F oven. The sauce can be made up to 48 hours in advance and refrigerated until ready to use. Reheat it in a heavy saucepan set over low heat until it is warm but not hot; or microwave it on medium power in a microwave-safe container until warm, about 1 to 2 minutes.