I used to be so good. I used to participate in all the food blogging events from SHF to HHDD. But something along the way happened. Life I suppose. And I am so out of the loop that I couldn’t tell you what things were going on…except one. ..La Festa Al Fresco. Co-hosted by two of my close food blogging buddies, Lis of La Mia Cucina and Ivonne of Cream Puffs in Venice. It would be in true bad form for me to miss out. I figured I would get going on it early(we have until September 3rd…but I didn’t want to press my luck lately). It’s quite simple really, prepare a dish(from appetizer to dessert doesn’t matter) using a fresh, seasonal ingredient(preferably from your region). I however, did not follow directions very well.
For my seasonal ingredient I chose dried cherries. Now those are not fresh I know but I really wanted some bread pudding and I didn’t want real cherries, I wanted dried(they were fresh at one time). Cherries are at the end of their season here in the Pacific Northwest, but dried cherries you can get year round(luckily). Bread pudding being my favorite dessert, oddly enough has only made it on my blog one other time(my favorite comfort version using croissants). This version uses Challah bread(from a local bakery…I don’t bake bread in 85F weather). This of course is really more of a Fall dish, but we all know that I have been willing for Fall to come early all Summer, so this should come as no surprise. Bread pudding to me is the ultimate comfort dessert, and with all that has been swirling around in my life lately, a big bowl of comfort sounded good to me.
If you didn’t participate in La Festa Al Fresco last year, I highly recommend that you do. Head on over to either Lis or Ivonne’s blogs to get the 411.
Dried Cherry Challah Bread Pudding
½ loaf of Challah bread(or more depending on what size dish you use)
1 cup heavy cream
¾ cup whole milk
4 egg yolks
1/3 cup of sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon nutmeg
½ tsp vanilla
½ tsp cinnamon
1 ½ cups dried cherries
Preheat oven to 350F.
1.Tear bread into pieces and place into baking dish. Sprinkle bread with the dried cherries. Make another layer of bread and sprinkle with dried cherries. Repeat as many times as you have indgredients and room.
2.Mix the egg yolks, sugars, vanilla, cinnamon 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 bread is. Don¢â¬â„¢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 45-50 minutes until golden on top. Cool 10 minutes and serve warm.
Toffee Sauce
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup unsalted butter
1/3 cup whipping cream
1.Stir brown sugar and butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until melted and smooth, about 2 minutes.
2. Add cream bring to a simmer. Simmer for about 5 minutes and then serve on top of pudding.
VeggieGirl says
as someone who has been viewing your blog for quite some time now, you never cease to amaze me with your enticing food photography; and the photos of this delectable bread pudding are no exception :0)
Elle says
You know I love bread pudding, so you could hardly have made a better recipe for the event. The toffee sauce sounds like the perfect topping, too. Comfort food at it’s finest.
Anh says
This is one of the tastiest bread pudding recipe I came across! I love the use of dried cherry, and your creation is stunning!
Lydia says
I am ready for Fall to come, too, and this morning it is here — so cold in Rhode Island that I’m going around actually closing the windows I’d opened yesterday to try and cool off the house from our heat wave the day before! So it is a perfect morning to be looking at this recipe, and thinking yes, bread pudding would be wonderful today.
Kalyn says
The photos are just stunning!
Tanna says
How good do you have to be when you bring Toffee Sauce Bread Pudding to the party!!
July totally lovely Peabody!
Amy says
I am so sad cherry season is coming to an end. It seems like just yesterday when I was happily eating pounds and pounds of them. Your bread pudding looks perfect for the challah I have and the blackberries ripening in my backyard.
Parker says
I hope you are feeling better since your last post Peabody. 🙁 If anything can cheer you up, its some tasty ass bread pudding. I’ve been meaning to try out your original recipe since you posted it the first time – thank you for the new recipe and the reminder that I need to get on the ball already! Take it easy girl…
Natalie says
Yumm! I love bread pudding, I can’t wait to try this out. How much of a difference does the water bath make? I’m at college and only have a few baking things with me..
JEP says
Absolutely beautiful—I am drooling!
Valli says
I think I’ve died and gone to heaven with this bread pudding. It sounds so tempting with the sauce!!!!!!
aria says
oh that is so beautiful! i LOVE pudding and the dried cherries sound wonderful. such nice pix too, yummmm 🙂
chris says
I hate when life bumps blogging!! 🙂 Your bread pudding looks absolutely scrumptious. It may be a “fall” dish, but isn’t that why we all have A/C? So we can eat in the cold! 🙂
jenn says
hello!! who eats all the beautiful (and I’m sure scrumptiuos) creations you create!??! I would be the size of a house! I’m a hockey player too, but in the midwest. I love your site, and I pack on the pounds just reading your recipes. Please send some extras to Minnesota!
Jenn
Ivonne says
Oh! I loooooooooooooove dried cherries. I just love them. I have to try this. Thanks so much for taking part!
(And I’m with you … I used to take part in all the events but now it’s like I just can’t find the time or energy!)
Parker says
Oh hey I’m back for more. 🙂 okay, actually, I wanted to let you know that you have received the Rockin’ Girl Blogger award over at my site. Here is the post incase you are interested. 😉
http://divine-domesticity.blogspot.com/2007/08/im-rockin-girl-blogger.html
Kevin says
Dried cherries in bread pudding sounds great. I have been wanting to do a bread pudding for a while now.
T.W. Barritt says
It is about 65 degrees and raining on the East Coast, so dried cherry bread pudding seems particularly inviting right now!
Jerry says
I’m sitting at your table!
Steamy Kitchen says
I say that is just about the most divine recipe I’ve seen all month long. I’ll attempt to make it, but it may not be as darn pretty as yours. Somehow I never inherited the baking gene.
Kristen says
I feel the exact same way as you…overwhelmed with life I haven’t had time to do any blogging events lately. I didn’t even know this one was going on! That is how out of the loop I have been.
This looks delicious!
kellypea says
Smart woman not turning on that oven. I haven’t had the nerve for a nearly a week. Too hot. Too cranky. This looks very good, Peabody. I love cherries and can imagine their lovely tartness in this bread pudding. Yum. And the blogging events are on my calendar. I wistfully stare at them as the dates pass me by.
Janet says
Oh yum… bread pudding has to be just about my favorite dessert on the planet, and this one looks out of this world (yep, that was a corny comment – oh well..) 🙂
lynn says
That looks like the perfect dessert to snuggle up with when it’s cold and rainy outside. Like today.
Deborah says
I don’t care if it’s fresh – I want some!!!
Patricia Scarpin says
I wish I could participate more, too, sweetie – this recipe looks delicious!
Laura says
This looks beautiful as usual Peabody, I have a little person in my house who loves challah but is not such a fan of dried cherries, any alternative suggestions or should I just do what I always do and use chocolate?!
Jeanne H. says
Dearest Peabody, I do love most of the goodies you post, but I’ve never understood bread pudding.
I had it once as a guest at someone’s house. The other guests raved about it, but I must be a philistine, because I thought it a waste of ingredients. sigh.
Lisa says
Again.. yet another reason why I heart you so muchly =) You know, you totally hooked me on the croissant bread pudding – I’ve made it numerous times now and I have serious issues with sharing any of it with anyone else. It’s kind of frightening actually.
Now I must try this version! WOO! Thanks for bringing it to the Festa, Gracie! You rock! 😀
xoxo
Kirsten says
I’m with you – life happens and the food blogging suffers. 🙂
This looks so delicious!
Kelly-Jane says
This is comfort eating at it’s best, and toffee sauce too, mmm 🙂
Rosa says
Wow, that pudding looks wonderful! And with that delicious toffee sauce, it is ever so scrumptious!!!