New Orleans Bourbon Bread Pudding

Ingredients

Bread Pudding

• 1 18-20" French baguette, torn into 1-inch pieces (10 cups)
• 1 C raisins
• ¾ C bourbon (divided)
• 8 egg yolks
• 1½ C light brown sugar
• 3 C heavy cream
• 1 C whole milk
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1½ tsp ground cinnamon (divided)
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• ¼ tsp salt
• 3 tbsp granulated sugar
• 6 tbsp unsalted butter (cubed and chilled)

Bourbon Sauce

• ¼ C bourbon (divided)
• 1½ tsp cornstarch
• ¾ C heavy cream
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 2 tsp unsalted butter (cut into small pieces)
• Pinch salt

Directions

Bread Pudding

1. Prep Oven & Dish: Preheat oven to 450°F. Butter a 9x13" baking dish.
2. Toast Bread: Arrange bread in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake ~12 minutes, turning halfway and rotating the pan, until crisp and browned. Let cool. Reduce oven temperature to 300°F.
3. Plump Raisins: Heat raisins with ½ C bourbon in a small saucepan over medium-high until simmering (2-3 minutes). Strain, reserving raisins and bourbon separately.
4. Make Custard: Whisk egg yolks, brown sugar, cream, milk, vanilla, 1 tsp cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Whisk in remaining ¼ C bourbon plus the bourbon used to plump the raisins.
5. Soak Bread: Add toasted bread and toss to coat. Let sit ~30 minutes, tossing occasionally. If bread is still firm when squeezed, soak an additional 15-20 minutes.
6. Assemble: Pour half the bread mixture into the prepared dish and sprinkle with half the raisins. Repeat with remaining bread and raisins. Cover with foil.
7. Bake Covered: Bake 45 minutes.
8. Make Topping: Mix granulated sugar and ½ tsp cinnamon. Pdevilinch in 6 tbs butter until pea‑sized crumbs form.
9. Bake Uncovered: Remove foil, sprinkle topping over pudding, and bake 20-25 minutes until custard is just set.
10. Crisp Top: Increase oven to 450°F and bake ~2 minutes until the top forms a golden crust.
11. Cool & Serve: Cool on a wire rack 30 minutes (or up to 2 hours). Serve plain or with Bourbon Sauce.

Bourbon Sauce

1. Make Slurry: In a small bowl, whisk cornstarch with 2 tbs bourbon until smooth.
2. Heat Cream: In a small saucepan over medium heat, warm cream and sugar until the sugar dissolves.
3. Thicken Sauce: Whisk in the cornstarch mixture and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook 3-5 minutes, until thickened.
4. Finish: Remove from heat and stir in salt, butter, and remaining 2 tbs bourbon.
5. Serve: Drizzle warm sauce over bread pudding.
6. Store & Reheat: Leftover bread pudding keeps up to 3 days refrigerated. Reheat in the microwave or in a 350°F oven, covered with foil.

Chef's Notes

• French baguette works best, but other breads may be used if preferred.
• Raisins may be omitted or replaced with other dried fruit such as cranberries or cherries.
• Bourbon can be swapped for whiskey, rum, Kahlua, or amaretto to change the flavor profile.
• For an alcohol-free option, omit bourbon entirely - plump raisins in water and replace remaining bourbon in the recipe with milk or cream.

Make Ahead Instructions

• Prepare the bread pudding through Step 5 (before baking). Cover and refrigerate up to 1 day, then bake as directed.
• The bourbon sauce can be made up to 2 days in advance and refrigerated. Reheat gently before serving.
• Alternatively, bake the bread pudding fully, cool, cover, and refrigerate up to 2 days. Reheat covered in a 350°F oven before serving.

Freezing Instructions

• Bake the bread pudding and allow it to cool completely. Refrigerate at least 2 hours, then freeze if desired.
• Cover the pan tightly with foil and freeze up to 3 months.
• Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
• Reheat covered in a 350°F oven until warmed through, about 15 minutes.

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