So I have gotten a couple requests for this recipe for the holidays, and since I had to type it out anyway, I figured, "why not share this with everyone?"
If you like Bread Pudding, you will LOVE this recipe. If you don't like Bread Pudding, you now will.
So here you go, my personal Irish Bread Pudding recipe (what makes it Irish you ask? I personally use Kerrygold Irish butter, Jameson or Bushmills Irish Whiskey for the sauce, and of course it is prepared by me, a good old fashioned Irish American! Plus, the Irish love bread pudding. The original probably 40% of this bread pudding was a recipe of my Irish grandma. I added my own p'nash to it. For a truly delectable celebration of good food, I add a good portion of my own personal, made from scratch McGinty's Irish Cream to the custardy goodness that marinates the bread...mmm...yum):
You Will Need:
Big bowl to make mixture
Whisk
9x13 Glass dish
Even bigger 10x14 dish to make a "water bath" (will explain later) Sauce pan
For the Bread Pudding:
9 slices of bread (any bread works, but french bread is probably best)
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup rum (Bacardi Gold is what I use)
5 eggs
2 cups of heavy whipping cream
1 cup of sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon nutmet
Bag of coconut flakes
One banana
Also, grab out some butter and cream cheese.
For the Sauce (keep separate)
1 stick of butter (or 1/2 cup of margarine spread if that's all you have, though stick butter is better, but not necessary)
1 cup of sugar
6 tablespoons of heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons of brown sugar
1/4 cup of Irish Whiskey, either Jameson or Bushmills (or you can do rum if you want to stay "rum only" or like the flavor or sweetness of rum better.Sometimes I do 1/8 of rum and 1/8 of whiskey, depending on who I'm serving it to)
Directions for Bread Pudding:
First of all, it's best to let the bread dry out from the day before. It's not necessary, so if you don't want to do that (or forgot), you can toast them.
Blend in the bowl:
Eggs
Heavy Whipping Cream
Sugar
Vanilla
Nutmeg
Then add about 2/3 of banana, sliced. Eat the remaining third or put it under someone's pillow.
Butter one side of each piece of bread (toasted if that's what you did) Cut each piece of bread diagonally.
On half of the pieces (9 out of the 18 halves), spread the cream cheese, like you would a bagel. not crazy thick, but not thin either. enough to make it enjoyable if you had it plain.
Put the pieces of bread with cream cheese in the 9x13 dish, cream cheese facing up.
Sprinkle about half of the raisins you have.
Sprinkle some coconut, as much as you think would be good depending on your like/dislike of coconut. Don't overdo it though, even if you like it...just sprinkle it. Like if you were cropdusting the harvest with fertilizer.
Then add the remainder of your bread slices on top.
Sprinkle the other half of the raisins on top.
Sprinkle some more coconut, about the same as before.
Now pour the entire custard mixture over the whole dang thing. Try to get as much of the bread covered. "Peaks" are okay, just not full pieces. The banana slices should stay on top, but also slightly submered (so they cook well, but not burn).
Take the dish and place inside the larger 10x14 dish. put some water in the 10x14, it's not much that is needed. This creates a "water bath" to cook the 9x13 in. Just put enough in to where the water comes to the top of the
10x14 and you can still carry it without spilling.
Place it in the oven, 400 degrees for about one hour.
Directions for the Sauce:
About 15 minutes or so before you take the sweet goodness out, it's time to make the sauce.
Put the stick of butter (or half cup of butter spread) in a pan, start to melt it on low, and then add the cup of sugar (for a thicker, more carmel-like sticky-bun type sauce, make the WHOLE cup brown sugar instead of white sugar. The white sugar is more liquidy and runnier, the brown sugar is thicker and stickier. You can also do 1/2 brown and 1/2 white. The "all brown" recipe is great on cinnamon rolls, too, by the way). If you do all white sugar, now add the 2 tbs of brown sugar, the 6 tbs of heavy whipping cream, and the rum or whiskey or rum/whiskey. Keep it on LOW and just stir and whisk it until it slightly thickens. This is simply magic.
Once the hour is up, get that stuff out of the ol' oven, let it cool about 5 mins before you dish up, then top it off with the magic sauce.
Tadow!
Finito, el masterpiece-o!
Slainte!!!
Ryan Neitzel (at left with his creation) worked up the courage to put it to the test! Here's what he says:
"Made your bread pudding for the whole family and they all loved it! Merry Christmas!"
