As strange as this may seem, I’ve never made any form of bread pudding until now. Using buttery, flaky croissants in place of French bread, intrigued me. After reviewing a few standard recipes, I came up with this one and I’m so glad I did! You can eat this Croissant Bread Pudding any time of day, but honestly, it was great served as a breakfast since the flavors reminded me of French toast.
Let’s Get Started:
I bought 8 croissants, 4 per package, just over 9 ounces per package, from a local grocery store. Most recipes call for a pound of stale bread. preferably French bread. I imagined another French bread, so buttery and flaky that it would scale this recipe up a bit. I was not disappointed.
I tear off chunks about an inch or so in size, no need for perfection. Place them in a 13″ x 9″ x 2″ pan sprayed with non-stick spray, buttered or rubbed with a paper towel slightly saturated with a bit of oil.
Whisk the wet ingredients together. I have found it easier to blend the spices into the sugar first before blending them with the rest of the ingredients. It seems to help disperse them more equally thoughout the mixture. I usually do this with my French Toast recipe, but forgot that step here as is evidenced by this picture. Oh well; There’s always next time! Pour this mixture over the bread pieces. Refrigerate covered for at least an hour.
The Bake:
Bake at 350 degrees for abot 45-50 minutes; the center should be set. Allow it to rest for about 20-30 minutes before serving.
The Sauce:
Heat the milk and half and half with the sugar in a small saucepan. Stir over MEDIUM heat until sugar is dissolved. Briefly remove from the heat. Separate 4 eggs, reserving the egg whites for another use.
Whisk the egg YOLKS. Tempering them is the next step. You want to gradually increase the temperature of the egg yolks before adding them to the warmed milk. This will help them blend in to create a smoother sauce and prevent them from becoming scrambled egg bits. Start by adding a couple of tablespoons of the warmed milk from the saucepan. Whisk in and repeat the process once more. Then, add the tempered egg mixture to the saucepan and return to MEDIUM heat. Whisk constantly until mixture starts to thicken and can thinly coat the back of a spoon. DO NOT BOIL!
Strain the sauce, allow it to cool slightly before blending in the vanilla. Pour desired amount over your slice of Croissant Bread Pudding. The aroma and taste will comfort your soul.
Croissant Bread Puddinng
Ingredients
Bread Pudding
- 8 medium store-bought croissants These came in packs of 4 and just over 9 oz each.
- 2 c milk
- 2 c heavy cream
- 1 c granulated sugar
- 1 t cinnamon
- 3/4 t nutmeg
- 1 c dark brown sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 T vanilla
Vanilla Custard Sauce
- 1 c milk
- 1 c half and half
- 3 T sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 t vanilla extract
Instructions
Bread Pudding
- Tear croissants into 1 inch chunks and place in a 13 "X 9" X 2" pan prepped with cooking spray.
- Mix spices with granulated sugar then whisk together with the rest of the ingredients.
- Pour evenly over the croissant chunks.
- Cover with foil and refrigerate for at least an hour.
- Bake uncovered at 350°F for 45-50 minutes. Center should be set.
- Let it rest for at least 20 minutes before serving. Top with Vanilla Custard Sauce, if desired.
Vanilla Custard Sauce
- Over MEDIUM heat, stir the milk, half and half and sugar until sugar is dissolved.
- Separate the 4 large eggs. Whisk egg yolks and reserve egg whites for other uses.
- Whisk a couple of tablespoons of hot milk into the beaten egg yolks. Repeat a couple of more times.
- Add yolk mixture back into the saucepan with the rest of the milk over MEDIUM heat. Stir constantly until it begins to thinly coat the back of the spoon. DO NOT BOIL!
- Strain, cool and whisk in vanilla.
