Bread pudding is an ancient dessert, likely dating back to the 12th century. People soaked stale, rock-like hunks of bread in water to make them palatable. I’m not sure how a mushy, moldy bit of re-hydrated wheat scrap evolved into the rich, sweet and satisfying dessert made famous by diners across America, but I guess a lot can happen in 1200 years.
We now jump from late Medieval times to early December of 2024.
Here we find Chef Hacker strolling food store aisles and contemplating desserts with the goal of bringing something fresh and holiday-like to a monthly dinner he shares with friends.
Something with fresh berries? Nope. Did that in May. Custard Tart maybe? That was September’s offering. Things were going just this way as he traversed aisle after isle. He was ready to phone it in by just buying an an ice cream cake when he saw it.
Right on the end of the dairy aisle. A glistening ½ gallon of just what he needed. Eggnog. A rich and creamy beauty with lovely flavors of vanilla, nutmeg and sugar. At first he thought to use it to make a custard or a pudding…maybe an Eggnog Pie. (And he still may do that in the future) Then he looked to the right, he didn’t know why, but he did. There he caught glimpse of shelves full of breads, rolls and pastries and he immediately knew that Eggnog Bread Pudding was what he wanted to make.
The simple hack involves only two changes to a typical bread pudding recipe. They are (1) Replacing the milk with eggnog and (2) Reducing or eliminating the white sugar thanks to the sweetness of the eggnog. The resulting dessert is wonderful!
If you like bread pudding and if you like eggnog then you will love this hack. Give it a try and let us know what you think in the “Leave A Reply” section below.
Holiday Eggnog Bread Pudding
Ingredients
- 3 Cups Eggnog Store Bought or Home Made
- 8 Slices White Bread Stale or Oven-Dried
- 1 Cup Butter
- 3 Each Eggs
- 3 Tbsp Corn Starch
- ½ Tsp Baking Powder
- 1 Sprinkle Ground Nutmeg (or Cinnamon) Optional
- ¼ Cup White Sugar Optional
Instructions
- If using fresh bread, lay the slices on a cookie sheet in a single layer and bake in a 220 degree oven for 30-45 minutes or until they are crisp but not brown. Alternately, leave the bread on the cookie sheet in a cold oven for 4 or 5 days. In either case you then cut the slices into 1 inch pieces and set them aside.
- Grease an 8” square glass baking dish with just enough butter to coat the inside bottom and walls. Melt the remaining butter and set it aside to cool slightly.
- In another bowl beat the eggs until well blended then whisk in the cornstarch, baking powder, eggnog, and melted butter. If your eggnog is not very sweet (different brands vary) or if you prefer an extra sweet bread pudding then add up to ¼ cup of sugar.
- Place the bread in the greased baking dish and pour the liquid over them. Gently slide the bread pieces around so that they are evenly coated with the liquid. Some corners should break the surface of the liquid.
- Place the mixture in a 350 degree oven for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the top of the pudding has browned.
- Allow to cool slightly then sprinkle the top with a few shakes of nutmeg (for an authentic Eggnog taste or with cinnamon if you are feeling less adventurous.
- Serve warm or refrigerated.