Bread pudding is almost a souffle for cheaters. Because of the eggs in it, it puffs up a bit in the oven, but the bread gives it enough structure that it never falls. The bread also keeps the custard component of the pudding from cracking or facing any of the other flaws that can strike a cooked custard. What this all boils down to is the fact that bread puddings are incredibly easy and will taste great almost without regard for what you do to them. How can you argue with that?

For this bread pudding, I started with the basic recipe in the Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook, which is a great source for basic recipes. I changed it by adding dried cherries and using challah bread for added richness. I topped it off with a delicious dessert sauce. The final dish is homey, comforting and very delicious. It can be put together very quickly and served either warm or cold, so it is just as good for entertaining as it is for quiet nights at home.

Bread Pudding with Maple-Blackberry Sauce

5 cups bread (preferably challah or brioche), about 1/2 large loaf
2 1/4 cups milk
4 large eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup dried cherries (or raisins)

To be able to accurately measure 5 cups of loosely packed bread, not to mention to have it absorb the custard mixture, you need to cut the bread in to 1-inch cubes. There is no need to be extremely exact with this process, nor is it necessary to remove the crusts of the bread, as they will soften as they soak. Since store-bought loaves of challah tend to be all of a fairly large, uniform size, you will need just over 1/2 loaf to make up five cups. Let the bread cubes sit out on a baking sheet to dry a bit during the day. It will help them absorb the custard better.

Vigorously whisk together the milk, eggs, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and salt. Do this either in a large bowl or a very large measuring cup (like a 6 cup measure). Be sure to fully incorporate all the eggs. Place the bread cubes and dried cherries into a large bowl and pour the custard mixture over the top. Use the back of a spoon to press the bread down into the custard, making sure that each piece of bread gets a chance to soak up the milk mixture.

Once the bread is soaking, let it stand on the counter for a few minutes while you preheat the oven to 350F. If you want to prepare this in advance, perhaps the day before you intend to serve it, you can cover the bread mixture with plastic wrap and refrigerate it overnight.

Pour the soaked bread mixture into an ungreased 8x8 inch square baking dish. Bake it for 40-45 mintues at 350F. Test for doneness by inserting a sharp knife into the center of the pudding. When it comes out moist, but clean, the pudding is done. The pudding illustrated here took 45 minutes and was golden brown when I pulled it out of the oven.

Let the pudding cool for at least 20 minutes before serving. It can be served warm or cold and, once cooled, can be stored in the refrigerator for a few days. This recipe makes 9 servings.

While the pudding was cooling, I made a quick Blackberry-Maple sauce, which I spooned over the warm pudding when I was serving it. Adding the sugar to the berries and the maple syrup helped to take the tart edge off the berries and the addition of vanilla extract rounded out the flavors. It was a thin, rustic sauce that tasted great with the pudding, but it could be used on pancakes or waffles, as well.

Maple Blackberry Sauce
(based on a recipe from Gourmet)

1 cup berries
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Combine berries, maple syrup and sugar in a small saucepan. Cook over medium high hear, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Once the mixture is bubbling, gently crush the berries with the back or a fork or spoon. Continue to cook for 3-4 minutes, then remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract. Serve hot over bread pudding (or pancakes).

[Photos by Nicole Weston]