Bread Pudding with Caramel Topping

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Don’t put away the baking pans yet. You can make this scrumptious Bread Pudding with Caramel Topping from the leftover bread. The Thanksgiving cookout may be over, but there’s more cooking to do for Christmas in a few weeks. Like me, you probably have a lot of leftovers. Let’s talk about all the delicious bread you baked or served at the Thanksgiving table. Or how about the delightful bread you will be having in the next few weeks leading up to Christmas and the New Year? Surely there will be a few pieces that will linger in the bread basket, forgotten and forlorn a few days after. Keep them. Do not throw those old pieces away. Let me show you what a marvelous brioche bread pudding you can make.

I have always been taught by my parents and dear aunts that good food leftovers should not be thrown out. I took stock of our bread basket. We had some large ensaymadas (the Philippine brioche rolls), some cinnamon sticky buns I made and a few slices of cinnamon raisin swirl loaf bread (store bought). I also had a large unused carton of heavy cream. I had everything I needed to make a luscious bread pudding.

It is not Christmas without bread pudding for me. When we were kids, an aunt used to make bread pudding religiously and would give a large loaf pan to us as a holiday present. I used to excitedly look forward to opening the gift basket sent to us, and stared down at the creamy custard-like loaf filled with candied fruits and raisins. My aunt used to cook it in a steamer, so it was soft and silky as we sliced it. If I close my eyes now, I can still imagine the sweet almond-like aroma from the pudding mixture of heavy cream and milk, vanilla flavors, fruits and raisins combined. Of course, I never got to ask for a recipe. It was just one of those things you grew up with and you always thought they’d be around forever. I realized now I was never going to have the bread pudding from my childhood.  But I knew what to do. I could create my own holiday tradition with my family and bake a pudding my sons would relish for the holidays.

I hope your Thanksgiving will always be as splendid as ours. May the coming holiday weeks be even more magical for you, dear readers!

Print Recipe

Bread Pudding with Caramel Topping

The best bread pudding is made out of leftover good bread pieces. This is a classic Bread Pudding with Caramel Topping I make once I have an assembly of leftover bread that are still good to eat, but because they’re a few days old, are ignored in the bread basket. If you have leftover bread but have no time to bake right now, then freeze the bread in plastic bags first. Take them out when you’re ready to bake. This is one of the easiest recipes I have ever made for a classic holiday pudding. This is an Asian In America recipe by Elizabeth Ann Quirino.  Serves 6 to 8 for dessert or snacks.

Cook Time1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Course: Dessert, Merienda, Snacks

Cuisine: American, Asian, Filipino

Keyword: Caramel Bread Pudding Dessert

Servings: 6 people

Calories: 505kcal

Author: Asian in America - Elizabeth Ann Quirino

Equipment

• Large Loaf Pan

Ingredients

• 1 cup granulated sugar for caramelized topping
• 16 ounces heavy cream
• 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk 14 ounces condensed milk
• 6 whole large eggs beaten
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 Tablespoon brandy
• 2 whole large ensaymadas (brioche rolls) cubed in 1-inch squares, about 2 cups (from Philippine bakeries or Asian groceries or bake some from my previous blogpost)
• 3 whole large cinnamon sticky buns cubed in 1-inch squares, about 2 cups (store bought or bake some from a past blog post recipe)
• 6 slices raisin bread cubed in 1-inch squares, about 2 cups (store bought)
• 1/2 cup raisins

Instructions

• To caramelize sugar: Over medium heat, using a heavy, small sized stock pot, place the granulated sugar. Hold the handle of the pot and tilt the sugar around to spread evenly in the pot.

  In about 5 to 6 minutes, the white sugar will start to turn a brown caramel color. Tilt the pot slightly so the sugar caramelizes evenly. The whole cup of sugar will get brown and golden in about 8 to 10 minutes over medium heat. Keep an eye on this process and do not leave the pot unattended or it will burn.

  Once the white sugar has turned a caramel-colored brown, quickly pour it in a pre-greased loaf pan measuring about 4 x 11 inches, with a height of at least 4 inches. Spread the caramelized sugar to cover the entire bottom and allow to harden in about 1 to 2 minutes. Set aside.
• To make the Bread Pudding: In a large bowl, combine the heavy cream and the condensed milk with the beaten eggs, vanilla extract and brandy. Blend well with a whisk.
• Cut the bread in cubes about 1-inch squares. Soak all the bread cubes in the cream mixture. Mix in the raisins. Let the bread cubes soak for at least 30 to 35 minutes. You will see the bread absorb the cream slightly.
• Pour the bread cubes and the cream mixture into the loaf pan filled with caramel syrup in the bottom. Cover the entire loaf pan with aluminum foil and seal on all sides.
• Bake at a preheated oven of 325 F degrees bain marie style. In the Philippines we call this “banyo maria”. Have a baking pan ready that is larger than the loaf pan – about 11 x 13 inches, with a height of at least 4 inches. Place warm water in the larger baking pan. Situate this larger baking pan in the center rack of the preheated oven. While oven is preheating, let the water in the larger pan preheat as well.
• Place the foil-covered loaf pan in the center of the larger baking pan which has the hot water. Bake the pudding in the bain marie at 325 F degrees for 1 hour and 20 minutes. To test if pudding is cooked: place a thin knife in the center of the pudding and if knife comes clean, it is done.
• Cool the pudding on the counter for at least 30 – 40 minutes. To serve, take a sharp knife and loosen the sides and edges of the pudding. Turn pudding over in a large platter which has a depth of at least 1 to 2 inches to catch the syrup. The caramel syrup will flow and cascade from the top onto the sides. Store the pudding in the refrigerator.
• Cook’s comments: I used leftover Filipino ensaimadas (brioche bread) and cinnamon sticky buns because that is what I had on hand from the holidays. Feel free to use any plain or sweet flavored bread available for this recipe.

Hello, Friends! All the images and content here are COPYRIGHT PROTECTED. This means BY LAW you are NOT allowed to use my photos or content on your website, videos, books or media content  without my permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write it in your own words and simply link back to this blog to give proper attribution. It’s the legal thing to do. Thank you. Email me at [email protected]

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 505kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Cholesterol: 104mg | Sodium: 123mg | Potassium: 215mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 35g | Vitamin A: 1111IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 70mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition Notes: The nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Did you like this recipe? I have more Filipino Instant Pot recipes in my newest cookbook Instant Filipino Recipes: My Mother’s Traditional Philippine Cooking in A Multicooker Pot by Elizabeth Ann Besa-Quirino. Buy my cookbooks and books on Amazon.com sold worldwide in paperback and Kindle format.

Hello, Friends! Please DO NOT LIFT OR PLAGIARIZE my original recipe, stories, photos or videos. All the images and content on this blog are COPYRIGHT PROTECTED and owned by my media company Besa-Quirino LLC. This means BY LAW you are NOT allowed to copy, scrape, lift, frame, plagiarize or use my photos, essays, stories and recipe content on your websites, books, films, television shows, videos, without my permission. If you wish to republish this recipe or content on media outlets mentioned above, please ASK MY PERMISSION, or re-write it in your own words and link back to my blog AsianInAmericaMag.com to give proper attribution. It is the legal thing to do. Thank you. Email me at [email protected]