Orleans Style Bread Pudding

The Orleans Style Bread Pudding with Joe’s Whiskey Sauce is a classic dessert with rich flavors and a comforting texture. Here’s the full recipe broken down into steps for easier preparation:

Bread Pudding Ingredients:

• 10 ounces loaf stale French bread, crumbled (reduce milk to 3 cups if using fresh bread)
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 3 eggs
• 2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 cup shredded coconut
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 4 cups milk (3 cups if using fresh bread)

Joe’s Whiskey Sauce Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup Bourbon

Directions:

For the Bread Pudding:

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Position an oven rack in the lower third of the oven.
2. Butter a 9×13 inch baking dish.
3. In a large bowl, combine the crumbled bread, sugar, melted butter, eggs, vanilla extract, raisins, shredded coconut, chopped pecans, cinnamon, nutmeg, and milk. Stir until everything is well incorporated and the mixture is very moist but not excessively soupy.
4. Pour the bread mixture into the prepared baking dish.
5. Bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Ensure that the center is set before removing it from the oven.

For Joe’s Whiskey Sauce:

1. In a saucepan over medium heat, use a handheld mixer to cream together the butter and powdered sugar until all the butter is absorbed.
2. Remove from heat and briskly blend in the egg yolks.
3. Gradually pour in the bourbon, stirring constantly. The sauce will thicken as it cools.

Serving:

• Serve the bread pudding warm. Drizzle with the warm whiskey sauce right before serving.

Notes:

• If your bread is not stale, you can cube it and bake it in the oven for a few minutes to dry it out.
• The whiskey sauce contains raw egg yolks, so make sure to use pasteurized eggs to reduce the risk of salmonella.
• For a non-alcoholic version of the sauce, you can use bourbon extract or omit the bourbon entirely, understanding that the flavor will be different.

This decadent dessert is a perfect end to a meal or a sumptuous treat on a cool evening. Enjoy your homemade Orleans Style Bread Pudding with Joe’s Whiskey Sauce