Perfect with a cup of tea
Here is a recipe I used yesterday for an old-fashioned favorite. Funny story about why I was "forced" to use up stale bread.... On Wednesday, I was so excited when I pulled from the oven two crispy loaves of challah bread. They smelled heavenly....they were shaped just right (which is usually not something that can be said of my bread)....they were, well, gorgeous.
But one bite made me sickeningly realize that I had left out a key ingredient.....salt. I had been so cautious about sifting all of the flour for it that I neglected to add the salt. It tasted like subtly sweet cardboard.
So, Ken made French toast with it that next morning, and I made this bread pudding yesterday. When it's used in a dish, the bread holds up to its reputation....it was delicious. Next time I hope I can enjoy it as is....straight out of the oven, sliced thick with honey on top. But if I forget again, at least I know I have a backup plan.
ESTHER FOX'S BREAD PUDDING (from RealSimple magazine)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 cups stale bread (French, Italian, or white), cut into
3 cups whole milk
1/2 cup sugar
3 large eggs, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg or mace
1/2 teaspoon salt
Coat an 11-by-7-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon of the butter. Place the bread cubes in a single layer in the dish. In a large bowl, combine the milk, sugar, eggs, vanilla, nutmeg or mace, and salt. Pour the milk mixture over the bread and dot with the remaining butter. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350° F. Bake the pudding for 40 to 45 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.
Yield: Makes 6 servings
But one bite made me sickeningly realize that I had left out a key ingredient.....salt. I had been so cautious about sifting all of the flour for it that I neglected to add the salt. It tasted like subtly sweet cardboard.
So, Ken made French toast with it that next morning, and I made this bread pudding yesterday. When it's used in a dish, the bread holds up to its reputation....it was delicious. Next time I hope I can enjoy it as is....straight out of the oven, sliced thick with honey on top. But if I forget again, at least I know I have a backup plan.
ESTHER FOX'S BREAD PUDDING (from RealSimple magazine)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 cups stale bread (French, Italian, or white), cut into
3 cups whole milk
1/2 cup sugar
3 large eggs, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg or mace
1/2 teaspoon salt
Coat an 11-by-7-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon of the butter. Place the bread cubes in a single layer in the dish. In a large bowl, combine the milk, sugar, eggs, vanilla, nutmeg or mace, and salt. Pour the milk mixture over the bread and dot with the remaining butter. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350° F. Bake the pudding for 40 to 45 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.
Yield: Makes 6 servings
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