Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup. Stoffers Macaroni and Cheese that has been cooked a little too long so that the edges are all crispy. Cold Stone Creamery Cake Batter ice cream with Heath mix in. And bread pudding. These are my go to foods when the world is treating me less than kind. Of all of those, bread pudding is my favorite, but the one I make the least(I tend to eat the whole pan).
I didn’t start off a fan of bread pudding. Growing up I was allergic to milk and so the few times I ate pudding, I had adverse reactions to it. One night while out to eat with my parents my mother insisted that I try a piece of her dessert, it was bread pudding. Being smart she did not tell me it’s name and therefore I tried it. Sneaky woman. It was so wonderful. It was warm, soft and sweet and I swore it felt like some one was wrapping me with a blanket and telling me it was all okay. Bread pudding has that power over me.
Since that day it became my quest to find the best bread pudding. If it is on the menu at a restaurant, I try it. I have probably eaten or made darn close to every variety out there….it’s a tough job, but somebody has to do it. In all of my research and baking I have discovered that my favorite bread pudding is made with croissants. I mean if you are going to ingest all those calories, why not really go for it? 😛 My bread pudding is a little more custardy than some, mostly because I bake mine in a water bath. I feel that it just makes it that more creamy and soft texture.
The sauce is the next important thing to me. If you have a bad sauce you have ruined your bread pudding and that would just be sad. I prefer the “toffee” sauce…your brown sugar, cream and butter based, the only exception being when I make chocolate chip or chocolate bread pudding…then ganache is that best.
Whoever said, “nothing tastes as good as thin feels” obviously never had my bread pudding.
Crossiant Bread Puddingwith Pecan Toffee Sauce
4 large croissants or 6 small ones
1 pint heavy cream
4 egg yolks
½ cup of sugar
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup raisins
Preheat oven to 350F.
1.Tear croissants into pieces and place int o baking dish. Sprinkle bread with the raisins.
2.Mix the egg yolks, sugar and nutmeg together in a bowl. Then stir in the heavy cream.
3.Pour the custard over the bread. Press down the bread pieces until the bread is soaked with the custard. You will most likely have extra custard depending on how stale your crossiants are. Don’t feel like you have to use all the custard.
4.Place pan into another pan that will hold a water bath. Bake the bread pudding for 45 minutes until golden on top. Cool 10 minutes and serve warm.
Pecan Toffee Sauce
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup unsalted butter
1/3 cup whipping cream
1 TBSP Amaretto
1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted
1.Stir brown sugar and butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until melted and smooth, about 2 minutes.
2. Add cream and Amaretto and bring to a simmer. Simmer for about 5 minutes and then add pecans.
Tiffany says
Oh Bless you Peabody! I’ve been dreaming about this recipe since you said it was in your oven! lol
Making it Saturday am for a girlfriend GTG.
VT 🙂
Asha says
OMG!! Peabody, this recipe rocks.Looks sinfully gorgeous.
Excellent photos this time.I love it.Thanks.
Tanna says
Oh, I have no doubt: wrapped in a blanket and everything is wonderful! Yes!
I like that last photo the best – lovely.
rachel says
Oh my! So pretty and decadent!
Kristen says
Beautiful photos!
Were you having a bad day to need some comfort food or did you just make this because it sounded so darn good?
Yummy!
Julie O'Hara says
The photo on top is awesome. Love that it’s custardy; love the raisins; love the amaretto in the sauce. It’s good to have a quest in life:)
Reamika says
Absolutely amazing. Btw i recently found your blog and i am absolutely loving it, your photography skills are just amazing! Keep on posting! cant wait to see more!
bea at La tartine gourmande says
What a treat!
Jen the bread freak says
Oh! You have just brought back childhood memories of my Grandma making bread pudding for us! Yum. Gorgeous pictures :D.
Emily says
Wow . . . good gracious, Peabody, that looks good.
aria says
i recently made bread pudding w/ croissants too (which was a first for me) yours looks MUCH better than mine! i’m so glad you posted this so i can make a tried and true recipe. that sauce!!!!
Claire says
Beautiful pictures! I’ve never made a sweet bread pudding but we always have one for Christmas breakfast with sausage and cheese.
Anh says
I can only say one word: delicious!
Sweeti says
I’m over the top with this one! Yummmmm.
Ellie says
Oh yummo – I could definetely go some of this comforting bread pudding to help ease my pre-xmas stress!
Jann says
This is absolutely beautiful and I can tell, delicious. This is something I will really enjoy making.
Brilynn says
I’ve never been a fan of bread pudding, but yours sounds exceptionally good. You can’t go wrong with croissants.
connie says
that is absolutely beautiful. and i like the idea of baking it with a water bath. i hope eating the bread pudding helped right the wrongs!
Lauren says
I am a very recent fan of bread pudding – looks wonderful. the ultimate comfort.
Jeff says
Man…you can man something simple look TOO beautiful!
Lisa says
Holy crap – I’ve been thinking for days about what to make for dessert at our family get together on Saturday and I think you’ve made my mind up for me!
Question though – I recently purchased some ramekins that I’m dying to use.. should I use 1 croissant for each cup or 1/2 a croissant? And how long should I bake if I’m doing individual puddings?
Thanks SO MUCH for sharing and for the advice 😀
xoxo
peabody says
Lisa- you know it really depends on your crossiant. It is so hard to tell. Crossiant size and how stale they are always varies. Whatever dish I am using I usually just start tearing them up and throwing them in there. When they reach about 3/4 of the way full(packed in a little) then I am happy. So start with 1/2 a crossiant and work from there. This recipe is actually is pretty small but can easily be doubled with no problem.
Freya E says
The smell of Bread and Butter pudding always reminds me of my grandma’s house when I was growing up. I couldn’t stand the idea of it though: bread and milk with raisins – yuk! I made one recently though with a chocolate custard and it was delicious! I will definately make this one for my grandma who no longers make B&B Pudding. You have inspired me!
Freya
Kirsten says
Delicious, warm and comforting. It looks beautiful too!!
Joanne says
Yummy!!!
That looks soooo good! I have to agrees with you about the mac and cheese, it is only really decadent when you burn the edges!
gattina says
oh my gosh, it’s seriously good! Baking in water bath is an excellent idea Pea! My first try on bread pudding was a few years ago from a friend who is Polish descendent, the sauce was darn good. Now after I seeing your recipe, I know what will kick his butt 😀
Lisa says
Okay cool.. I bought all the ingredients and will be making these tonight or early tomorrow morning – along with the bleu cheese cheesecake. I’ll letcha know how it all turned out after the family get together on Saturday. =)
chris says
This is the first thing I’m going to make after I have my twins. I have gestational diabetes and can’t have this kind of thing. But this . . . I think is well worth the wait. And the weight.
Kevin says
This looks amazing!
melissa says
It looks like love… warm and cozy..in a bowl..
Amy @ Memoirs of a Mommy says
Hi, I found your site through Blissfully Domestic, and I am so glad I did. I think my hubby is going to LOVE this. Thanks for the great recipe!
Jennifer says
Ohhhhh, exquisite recipe, and exceptional photo! I agree Peabody, a bread pudding MUST be custardy and moist, or it just isn’t a pudding. 🙂 Thank you from the bottom of my family’s hearts!
Ella says
Mmmmm – try it with pain au chocolat (chocolate croissants) – I had it in Tunisia last summer for breakfast every morning!
Valerie says
Absolutely divine. I replaced the amaretto with grand marnier (we didn’t have amaretto at home), and it turned out very nicely.
I’m definitely trying more of your recipes! 🙂
Karen says
I made bear claws out of puff pastry and they don’t hold well, so I had some leftover. Could I use that instead of the croissant? It does have the almond filling. I love custardy (is that a word?) bread pudding.
Peabody says
Sure…that sounds yummy.
Lynne says
I found your Croissant Bread pudding recipe, and I’d love to try it, but the photo is over the ingredients and obscures some of the instructions. Where can I find the entire, unobscured version?
Peabody says
Now try.
Maria says
I made this pudding on Sunday and my boyfriend and I fell in love with it so much that I’m making it again tonight. I didn’t add the raisins because I forgot to buy the =[ but regardless it was delicious!
Today I will bake it with the pecan toffee sauce just to see what happens.
bestfoodies says
I made your bread pudding tonight, omitted the raisens and switched the nutmeg for vanilla. It is possibly the very best bread pudding I have ever had!!! I pinned it on Pinterest and can’t wait to write about it and send people over to get your recipe!
Just_made_these says
This is my second time making these. Let me just tell you this bread pudding is so delicious! We had a bit of a bread pudding contest and when I used this recipe, I won 🙂
I’d recommend it to anyone. It’s simple, relatively fast and most importantly DELICIOUS