I do love bread pudding. I know I’m constantly telling you how much I love sweets, but ultimately I’m not sure it’s true. I love “sweetish”. Not Swedish, but marginally sweet. This is not a sweet dessert. It’s more of a custard and you know how we Norwegians love custard. I think my mom’s favorite pie was custard. I’m not going that far, but I do love a good custard.
This is Grandma Olson’s bread pudding. As you can see, it is totally unfancy. With basically 6 ingredients, you can make this with ingredients on-hand. I doubt if Grandma specifically called for an Italian boule, but it’s the closest thing I could find to the bread she would use.
The other thing you’ll notice is the lack of a sauce. Grandma never made a sauce for the bread pudding when she served it. So often you will see vanilla or rum sauce to serve alongside the pudding, but Grandma always served it with whip cream and a sprinkling of sugar. Not whipped cream, but straight out of the milk jug cream. She might froth is up with a fork, but truly this is a simple dessert.
3 cups cubed Italian boule, allowed to stale overnight in a bowl
2 cups granulated sugar
5 beaten eggs
2 cups whole milk or half and half
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup raisins soaked in bourbon for 10 minutes or so
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8 x 8 inch pan.
Combine the sugar, eggs, vanilla and half and half in a bowl. Pour over the cubed bread and let it sit for 10 minutes, so the bread can absorb the liquid. Add the raisins.
Pour into the greased 8 x 8 inch pan. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until set.
There’s not much to this recipe. I’ve even fancied it up a bit from the way Grandma did it. I do not remember her soaking the raisins. I’d eat it right after it comes out of the oven. You’ll like it; I promise.
* from the Recipe Box:
A boule is basically a round, fairly dense loaf of white bread. It is much thicker than a French loaf or baguette.
You’re on your own if you want a sauce, but they are all over the Internet.
and remember: Tell the truth or someone will tell it for you. Big kiss, Lynn
From the Recipe Box 