Eggnog Bread Pudding with a Bourbon Sauce (or Virgin Vanilla Sauce)

Oh Boy... Bread Pudding!

Nut not just any Bread pudding, this bread pudding combines a couple of my favorite things.  A seasonally special ingredient, The Nog of the Egg!  Plus the base is totally made from leftovers that would have been tossed in the garbage.

Somethin from nothin,,, Special

Somethin Special from Nothin... PRICELESS!

This bread pudding was made from leftover dinner rolls I had from Thanksgiving.  Bread pudding has evolved recently into something that is made for special occasions when in reality Bread Pudding was always a leftover dish.  Let your bread get stale and you have the makings of a dessert rather than trash.

The rest is pretty much standard.  I did use Egg Nog in place of the "normal" milk used in most puddins.  Add a little nutmeg and cinnamon for spices and you have this simple, easy to make but plenty to please dessert!

Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas and of course... ENJOY!

 
 OK... Here's what I did...

Eggnog Bread Pudding with a Bourbon Sauce
(Or Virgin Vanilla Sauce)

Ingredients

• 24 Yeast Dinner Rolls (Day Old, Pulled apart and dried out in oven)
• 4 Cups Egg Nog
• 6 large Eggs
• 6 Large Egg Yolks only (12 eggs total, 6 whole and 6 yolks only)
• 1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
• 1 TBS Vanilla
• Serve with Honey or Butter
• Additional whole milk as needed
• FOR THE BOURBON SAUCE
  4 Large Egg Yolks Only
• 1/2 Cup Sugar
• 2 tsp Bourbon
  For VIRGIN Sauce, Substitute 2 tsp Vanilla
• Pinch of Salt
• 1 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Prepare a 9X13 Casserole pan with non-stick spray.
3. Place cubed bread into a large bowl then set aside. In a separate bowl, beat together the eggnog, eggs, brown sugar, cinnamon and vanilla until completely combined and the sugar has dissolved.
4. Pour eggnog mixture over bread cubes then toss lightly to coat. Spoon bread into prepared casserole dish then drizzle with melted butter. Bake 40 minutes or until the custard has set and the top just begins to turn golden brown. Remove from oven then set aside to cool while you prepare the sauce.
5. FOR THE SAUCE - In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together egg yolks, sugar, Bourbon and salt until blended and smooth (Note: Add Vanilla in place of the Bourbon if making a non-alcoholic sauce). Add heavy cream to a small saucepan then place over medium-low heat until steaming, but not boiling.
6. Whisk egg yolk mixture and begin slowly drizzling in ½ cup of the hot cream. Do not rush this process, and be sure to whisk constantly. The point is to slowly warm the egg yolks without cooking them. Once half of the cream is blended into the egg yolk mixture it should be safe to pour in the remaining cream while still whisking. Blend everything thoroughly then return the entire mixture to saucepan.
7. Place saucepan over medium-low heat and cook the vanilla sauce, stirring constantly, until it thickens to the point that it will coat the back of a spoon. The sauce will be done just before it begins to bubble, so if you see a bubble form, you know it’s ready. Serve the sauce warm, or at room temperature drizzled over a nice thick slice of the eggnog bread pudding.
8. ... and ENJOY!