Strawberry-Rhubarb Bread Pudding

 

The VERY first job I held was as a prep cook  in the back of Festivities Café at Swanson’s nursery (where they happened to serve the best bread pudding in the world). When I wasn’t busy scalding myself on fresh-out-of-the-oven sheet pans, I was cutting up loaf after loaf of stale bread to concoct the aforementioned pudding.

This is a pretty darn simple recipe, the most painstaking part of which (in my opinion) is waiting for all the ooey goodness to absorb into the bread while it sits in the fridge for a few hours- but it is SO worth the wait.  

I remember the little old luncheoning ladies that would come into the café , each one with a different opinion about what we should add/remove from the recipe. One time I found a frail, crumpled napkin left on a table with “What the hell, where are the raisins!??” written on it. Well, my version is also sans raisins… but it is stuffed with fresh strawberries and the perfect amount of tart rhubarb!

 

Strawberry-Rhubarb Bread Pudding

 (Makes 4 very generous servings)

½ loaf of fairly stale bread (cut into large chunks)

½- ¾ cup strawberries (sliced)

1 cup rhubarb (cut into ½ in. pieces)

~3 cups whole milk (I’ve  used 2 cups  of 2% + 1 cup of whipping cream as well)

2 eggs

1 tablespoon of vanilla extract

*generous splash* of Grand Marnier

1 cup sugar + 1/3 cup sugar (the 1/3 cup is for sprinkling on right before you pop it in the oven!)

 

Cut up the bread and place into an 8x8 pan. Scatter the berries/rhubarb over the bread, making sure to shove some berries/rhubarb down beneath the bread pieces.

 

In a separate  (medium-sized) bowl beat the eggs, then pour in the milk – stir in 1 cup of sugar until everything is well blended-add the vanilla and a splash of Grand Marnier!

Pour the lovely mixture you just made over the bread/fruit in the pan- make sure to smoosh everything down into the milk mixture. Top with milk until the liquid level is just below that of the bread.

Pop that baby into the fridge and let it sit (anywhere from 3  hours to overnight). Once the liquid is fully absorbed and the bread is “mushy” it is ready for the oven…. Sprinkle on that last 1/3 cup  (or less if you prefer) of sugar and bake at 375* until fluffy, firm and golden brown (approx. 45min-1 hour) .

Once it is done, top with fresh strawberries, whipped cream and a generous sprinkle of powdered sugar! (I believe all whipped cream is better with a splash of vanilla and bourbon) –this could also apply to everything in life – “better with a splash of bourbon” ; )

PS: This is actually WONDERFUL, if not better... the next day!

VOILA.