Apple/Raisin/Pecan Bread Pudding with caramel sauce

[debk]

I've been on a bread pudding kick lately, guess it's a comfort food thing. I saw Michael Symon's new show on The Cooking Channel the other day, and he made this apple one, and I thought it looked good. He made his with Challah bread - which would be excellent - but I don't even think it's possible to buy Challah in Knoxville (   ) and I wasn't going to make it from scratch just to cut it up! So I improvised, which resulted in changing the recipe as I went along. The only stuff I actually measured was the cream and the milk, but the measurements I gave on the rest are pretty close. I taste as I go along, so you may wish to add more/less spices, sugar, vanilla.

The original is here http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/recipes/michael-symon/apple-bread-pudding-recipe/index.html

I changed it to this....


1 loaf of cinnamon raisin bread - cubed
5 Granny Smith apples - peeled and cubed
1 c pecans - roughly chopped
3/4 c brown sugar
6 jumbo eggs
3 jumbo egg yolks
2 1/2 c heavy cream
1 1/2 c milk
1 T pure vanilla
1 t kosher salt
2 t cinnamon
dash of ground cloves, nutmeg, ginger
6-8 T melted butter

Place cubed bread on cookie sheet and put it oven while it heats to 350. Chop apples and pecans. Butter a lasagna dish or 9x13 casserole, dump in bread cubes, cover with the apple chunks and pecans.
In large bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar until well blended and whisk in rest of the ingredients, until blended. The cloves, nutmeg & ginger could be replaced with about 1t of apple pie spice or eliminate if not available. Pour over top of bread mix, making sure that the bread is all submerged into the custard. Pour the melted butter over the top.

Bake at 350 for 45-60 minutes in water bath, until knife in center comes out clean.

Sauce

1 stick of butter
1 c brown sugar
1/4 c white Karo syrup
1T vanilla
pinch of kosher salt
1t baking soda
1/4 c ButterShots liqueur

Cook all ingredients but the ButterShots over medium low heat, until sugar is dissolved. Add the Buttershots, and cook about 5 minutes longer. Longer cooking will cook out the alcohol but will still leave the flavor. This is not a thick sauce like ice cream topping.

When pudding comes out of oven, pour a bit of the sauce over the top of hot pudding, so that it will soak in.

Serve warm with additional warm sauce on top. Would be great with ice cream or whipped cream. (forgot to buy  , but it was really good without it)

[JohnnyReb]

That sounds so good to me....call me when it's done.

Fresh, hot, right out of the oven with a cold glass of milk or a hot cup of coffee would be so good.

[Eupher]

IIRC, challa bread is little more than regular yeast-type bread made with eggs as a binder. It's a yellowish color. Using cinnamon/raisin bread ain't wrong, of course, but as I can't stand raisins in my food (though I'll eat 'em by the handful right out of the box), that raisin bread thing for me is a showstopper.

"Challa" bread may not be available, but bread made with eggs usually is -- hell, I live in the outer reaches of the planet and my little Wally World carries that stuff.