After a four course feast of indulging in many a Mardi Gras dish, one would think that dessert would be out of the question. But Chef Steve’s Bread Pudding with Caramel Sauce (spiked with bourbon) was simply irresistable! And all of us in attendace for that Chef Series Class learned the literal translation of Mardi Gras, “fat Tuesday”, though in our case it happened to be a Wednesday.

Bread Pudding

1 C. golden raisins

1/4 C. bourbon

16 C. cubed day old bread

4 oz. melted butter

1 1/2 C. sugar

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

4 1/2 C. heavy cream

1 Tbs. pure vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

8 large eggs

In a small bowl soak the raisins in bourbon.

Place the bread cubes in a large bowl and drizzle with melted butter. Mix 1/2 cup sugar and 1 tsp. cinnamon together and sprinkle over the bread, tossing to distribute evenly. Heat the heavy cream, 1 cup sugar and remaining cinnamon over low heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. DO NOT let the mixture boil! Place eggs in a bowl and slowly whisk in the warm cream. Pour cream mixture over the bread, mix in the raisins and allow to stand 45 minutes to 1 hour, mixing a couple times during this period. You will know it is ready when the bread cubes are no longer dry in the center.

Preheat over to 350 degrees. Butter a 9×13 baking dish and pour in the bread mixture. Place the dish into a larger baking pan and place in the oven. Carefully pour hot water into the larger pan until it comes halfway up the side of the dish. Bake for 1 hour or until the center is set and a knife tip inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and let stand until the inner pan can safely be removed from the outer pan. Serve with caramel sauce (below).

Caramel Sauce

3/4 C. heavy whipping cream

1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

1 C. sugar

3 Tbs. dark corn syrup

4 Tbs. butter, chilled and cut into pieces

Bring the cream and the vanilla bean to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat and let steep for 10 minutes. Remove the bean, scrape out the tiny seeds with the tip of a sharp knife and add to the cream. Set aside.

Place the sugar and corn syrup in a 3 quart saucepan and use a wooden spoon to mix the sugar and syrup. Heat the pan over medium heat and the sugar will begin to break down after 3-4 minutes. Stir once or twice mixing the undissolved sugar into the warm liquid. It will become foamy after a bit, once it does stop stirring. Continue heating until the mixture turns medium brown. Whisk in the butter a little at a time and continue whisking until the mixture comes together. (I think an undisclosed amount of bourbon was added to the sauce at this step in our class too). Remove from heat and very slowly whisk in the cream a little at a time. The caramel is extremely hot and will bubble up as the cream is added. Return the pan to the burner over low heat and stir until the mixture is completely smooth. The sauce will thicken as it cools. Serve warm. This can be kept in a covered container in the refrigerator until you need to use it. Simply reheat slowly over low heat before serving.

Tags: CaJohns Flavor & Fire, Chef Series, dessert, Mardi Gras, recipe

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