Challenge? Did someone say challenge? You know that I’m all over that……
So, when a local bakery, The Main Grain, announced their Cookbook Challenge, I knew that I had to jump right in! Here is the description from their Facebook post:
Sometimes we wonder what happens to our bread after it leaves these doors, and now we are on a mission to find out….but we are going to need your help. We are pleased to announce that starting in December we will be putting together a cookbook of sorts in a
There are so many reasons why I absolutely love The Main Grain. First, they source many of their ingredients locally. Local is so much better for our environment, our economy, and it just tastes good! Second, the way they produce their product is done in a sustainable way– they don’t overproduce their product (which would result in a ton of waste), their packaging and cleaning supplies are “green”, and they compost and/or recycle what they can. Finally, when they do over-produce product, they will donate goods to organizations that have a need.
All of these things mean that it’s a business I feel GREAT about supporting! For those that are local to Central Wisconsin, you definitely should check them out. If you’re on Facebook, you should “Like” their page, too. They’re pretty savvy at the social media thing– it’s very entertaining to get updates from them!
Now– on to the Wisconsin Style Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce.
The key to this recipe is the
Ingredients
- 1/4 dried cranberries
- 2 Tbsp bourbon plus 1/4 bourbon
- 1 1/4 cups milk
- 1/2 sugar plus 1/2 sugar
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon, ground
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg, ground
- 3 eggs, beaten
- approx 3/4 loaf of “rustic style” bread, cubed
- 1/4 corn syrup, light
- 1/4 butter
Directions
In a small bowl, combine the dried cranberries and 2 tablespoons bourbon. Allow to stand for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, using a slotted spoon, remove the cranberries and set aside. Reserve the liquid.
In a large bowl, whisk together the reserved liquid, milk, 1/2 cup of sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, and beaten egg until well combined. Add the cubed bread to the liquid. Using a large spoon, toss the bread in the liquid until the bread is evenly coated. Spoon the mixture into an 8 or 9 inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray. Evenly sprinkle the bourbon soaked cranberries on top of the bread. Cover the dish with foil and place in the refrigerator for 1 to 4 hours to allow the liquid to be fully absorbed into the bread.
After the bread has chilled, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Take a 13×9 inch (or larger) baking pan and fill with hot water to a depth of approximately 3/4 inch. Place the 8 or 9 inch dish that contains the bread pudding into the larger pan filled with water so that it is sitting in a “water bath”. Bake the entire thing, with the bread pudding covered, for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove the foil cover and bake an additional 10 minutes.
During the last 10 minutes of the bread pudding’s baking time, prepare the bourbon sauce. In a medium saucepan, combine the remaining 1/2 sugar, corn syrup, and butter over medium heat. Bring the ingredients to a simmer, stirring frequently. Once the ingredients have been simmering for a minute or two, remove the pan from heat and immediately (and carefully) pour in the remaining 1/4 cup of bourbon.
Serve immediately by spooning a tablespoon (or three!) of the sauce on top of each slice of warm bread pudding.
What I really liked about this recipe is that it wasn’t as “moist” as most other bread puddings I’ve made– I increased the amount of bread so that it was less about the liquid and more about the complex flavors of the bread playing on the palate. This is now going to be my new “go-to” bread pudding recipe. New Orleans move over! Wisconsin Bread Pudding may just start to catch on!