Bread Pudding with Strawberry Sauce
Submitted by clcrobert
Make-ahead bread pudding layered with currants and soaked overnight in vanilla-nutmeg custard, then baked golden and served with a fresh homemade strawberry sauce. A gorgeous holiday dessert.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
45 minCOOK
45 minREADY
90 minThis is the kind of dessert you assemble the night before and forget about until morning. By the time you bake it, the French bread has soaked up every drop of that vanilla-nutmeg custard, and the currants have plumped into little bursts of sweetness.
The strawberry sauce on top is what really makes it sing. Fresh berries cooked down with orange juice and lemon juice, then partially pureed so you get both a smooth, glossy sauce and chunks of real fruit in every bite.
It’s a natural fit for Christmas brunch or a holiday dinner party since all the prep happens ahead of time.
Kitchen Tips
- The overnight soak is key. At least 8 hours lets the bread fully absorb the custard so there are no dry spots.
- Press down gently on the top layer of bread before refrigerating to make sure it’s fully saturated.
- Fresh strawberries give the brightest flavor, but frozen work just fine when berries aren’t in season.
Variations
- Swap currants for dried cranberries during the holidays for a festive twist.
- Add a splash of Grand Marnier to the strawberry sauce for an adults-only version.
- Try blueberries or raspberries in place of strawberries for a different fruit sauce.
Ingredients
Directions
Pudding Place one layer of sliced French bread in the bottom of a greased 9-inch cake pan.
Sprinkle with half of the currants. Place another layer of bread on top and sprinkle with the remaining currants.
Mix together the eggs, sugar, milk, margarine, vanilla, and nutmeg and pour gently over the bread and currants, making sure all the top layer is saturated.
Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours. Bake in a preheated 350℉ (180℃). oven, uncovered, until the custard is set and the top is lightly browned, about 45 minutes.
Cut into servings and top with strawberry sauce.
Strawberry Sauce Place the strawberries, orange juice, and lemon juice in a saucepan and cook on low until the strawberries are softened.
Purée one-third of the strawberry mixture and return to the whole strawberry mixture.
Combine the sugar with the cornstarch and add to the strawberries.
Cook, stirring, until slightly thickened.
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