Description:

Banana/walnut bread pudding w/cognac sauce

Source:

Prickly Pear

Serves/Makes:One 3-qt casserole, 3" deep

Ingredients

• 3 T butter (for casserole dish)
• Pudding:
• 1 loaf white bread (fresh homemade is BEST!! and worth the effort)
• 1 banana
• 4 large eggs
• 3-1/2 cups (825 ml) milk
• 1/2 cup (125 ml) heavy, whipping-style cream
• 1-1/3 cups (325 ml) sugar
• 2 tbsp (30 ml) vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp (1 ml) cinnamon
• 1/2 c walnuts, FINELY chopped
• Sauce:
• 1 stick BUTTER
• 1/2 cup (125 ml) sugar
• 2 tbsp (30 ml) cognac
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) water
• 1/4 tsp (1 ml) freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup (175 ml) heavy, whipping-style cream

Preparation

• Butter casserole with 3 tbsp (45 ml) butter.
• Cut bread into to 1/2" cubes and place in buttered casserole.
• In blender, puree banana, eggs, milk, cream, sugar, vanilla extract and cinnamon.
• Pour liquid over bread cubes and let stand 1 HOUR, pressing down now and then with a spatula to make sure bread cubes are thoroughly wet.
• Just prior to baking sprinkle walnuts over top and press into pudding well with the spatula.
• Bake at 375 degrees (200 C.) until top is puffed and lightly golden--about 1 hour (Pudding will puff up--may have cracks--and will decrease in size as it cools; THIS IS EXPECTED).
• Drizzle Cognac Sauce (recipe below) over top and serve warm.
• Cognac Sauce:
• In large (2-qt capacity) bowl melt the butter.
• Whisk in sugar, cognac, water and nutmeg.
• Cook in microwave on medium high, stirring well after each minute, until the mixture is well blended and has come to a boil.
• Whisk an egg until frothy; then vigorously whisk into the cognac mixture.
• Return sauce to microwave and cook on high until thickened--stirring every 30 seconds.
• After sauce has cooled to room temperature, whisk in the heavy cream.
• Store left over sauce and pudding in the refrigerator--warm in microwave with the sauce on the pudding to serve after it's cold.

Comments

I took my grandmother's old, farm-style bread pudding recipe and jazzed it up. It goes over quite well--even people who tell me they don't like bread pudding end up asking for the recipe! (Unlike some dessert sauces that have liquor in them--this one is mild and only serves to compliment to delicate flavor of the bread pudding.)