Last updated on February 23, 2019 by Liza Hawkins
Finally, the moment has come to unveil the “September Food Challenge: Apples” winner in its full glory: Apple Crisp Bread Pudding with Apple Butter Sauce!
Forget dry and bland; this recipe is it! It’s THE bread pudding I’ve been dreaming about – moist, creamy, sweet but not sugary (well, except for the butter sauce), and a little crispy on the outside. It’s addictive in bad good way.I must admit something: I’ve never been impressed with bread pudding. It’s always seemed dry and too bland; but, SO many people love bread pudding!
I often wondered, “Am I missing something?” So I purposely added it to September’s poll, in the hopes that I would be able to produce an awesome version of what seems to be a favorite among almost every culture since the beginning of time.
No, really. As early as prehistoric times, bread pudding has been found to exist mainly as a way to prevent wasting stale bread. Well, no wonder it often tastes dry and bland!
I made this recipe twice, once in standard muffin tins (makes 24; adjust cooking time to 30-35 minutes), and once in two 9×9″ baking pans. The original recipe I based this off of uses apple brandy and a few different ingredients, but I wanted something a little more wallet friendly (although the liquor would definitely make it more decadent!). Here’s my version.
Yield: 4-6
Apple Crisp Bread Pudding
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Ingredients
[i]For the bread pudding:[/i]
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 1/3 cup apple juice or apple cider
- 2 Fuji apples
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 4 large eggs
- 3 cups half-and-half
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 tbsp butter, melted and cooled
- 2 packages 10.75oz Sara Lee pound cake (freezer section), cut into 1″ cubes
[i]For the crumb topping:[/i]
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats (quick oats work fine too)
- 1/2 cup (one stick) cold butter
[i]For the apple butter sauce:[/i]
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/3 cup apple juice or apple cider
- 2 egg yolks, lightly beaten
- 1/8 tsp salt
Instructions
Apple Butter Sauce
- In a medium saucepan melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the sugar and stir until combined. Whisk in the heavy cream, apple juice, egg yolks and salt. Whisk over medium heat until the sauce has thickened, about 10 minutes. Do not let the sauce come to a boil. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. Serve warm with the Apple Crisp Bread Pudding.
I.CANNOT.WAIT.TO.TRY.THIS.
(and not just because I’ve been waiting for AN ENTIRE WEEK since you announced it.)
The pics are fabulous. It was so obviously DIVINE. (You can tell a lot by pics…)
(Did I say MMMMMM?)
Stopping by to see a fellow “Lovely Blog Award” recipient. Delicious, by the way!
Jackie – you’ll have to tell me what you think after you make it. The single 9×9″ pan was easier, but I think the muffin pans made for better texture….
Lady Laduke – Thanks, congrats, and welcome!