A holiday spice-infused custard ensures a moist, flavorful bread pudding in Alton Brown's holiday spiced bread pudding recipe: a Christmas classic.

Course: Sweets

Keyword: Baking, Brunch, Christmas, Desserts, Holidays, Rum, Spiced Bread Pudding

Spiced Bread Pudding

Name: Spiced Bread Pudding
Prep time: 45 min
Total time: 585 min
Ingredients: 1 (2- to 3-inch) cinnamon stick; 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg; 1 teaspoon dried orange peel; 15 whole cloves; 15 whole black peppercorns; 2 to 3 pieces crystallized ginger, chopped; 5 cups half and half, divided; 3 large eggs; 3 large egg yolks; 1/2 cup granulated sugar; 1/2 cup dark brown sugar; 1/4 cup spiced rum ((such as Kraken)); 1 (10-inch) stale French boule ((2 1/2 pounds or 10 to 12 cups cubed)); 1/2 cup golden raisins; 1/2 cup dried cherries; 1 to 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Spiced bread pudding in a cast-iron skillet on the set of Good Eats.

ACTIVE TIME: 45

TOTAL TIME: 9 45

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Half and half infused with cinnamon, nutmeg, and orange ensures a rich and flavorful custard in this holiday-ready spiced bread pudding recipe.

This recipe first appeared in Season 14 of Good Eats.

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Software

1 (2- to 3-inch) cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon dried orange peel
15 whole cloves
15 whole black peppercorns
2 to 3 pieces crystallized ginger, chopped
5 cups half and half, divided
3 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup spiced rum (such as Kraken)
1 (10-inch) stale French boule (2 1/2 pounds or 10 to 12 cups cubed)
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup dried cherries
1 to 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Specialized Hardware

Digital kitchen scale

Digital instant-read thermometer

Blender

10-inch cast-iron skillet

ACTIVE TIME: 45

TOTAL TIME: 9 45

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Procedure

Place the cinnamon, nutmeg, dried orange peel, cloves, peppercorns, and ginger into 3 cups of half and half in a microwave-safe container and microwave on high for 3 minutes. Check the temperature of the mixture and microwave in 30-second increments until it reaches 180ºF. Cover and steep 15 minutes.
Place the eggs and yolks in a blender with an 8-cup carafe. Blend on the lowest speed for 30 seconds. Raise the speed to quarter power, slowly add the sugars, and blend until thickened slightly, about 1 minute. Add the remaining 2 cups half and half. With the machine still running, pour in the spiced half and half through a small hand strainer and add the rum. Use immediately, or store covered in the refrigerator for up to 72 hours.
Heat oven on the lowest (or warm) setting.
Cut a 7-inch round disk off the top of the boule using a long bread knife or serrated slicer. Tear the disk into pieces and scatter in a large roasting pan. Cut all the way around the inside of the boule just inside the outer wall. Leaving the outer shell intact, cut the interior of the bread first in a downward direction, then in a perpendicular direction to create a grid, the way you would cube mango flesh to remove it from the skin. Remove the plugs of bread and tear into hunks about the size of an egg. Add the hunks to the roasting pan and bake until bread is dry, 1/2 to 2 hours.
Sprinkle the raisins and cherries over the bread, pour in the custard, and press the bread to submerge all the pieces. Cover and soak for 2 hours at room temperature or for up to 8 hours in the refrigerator.
When ready to bake, heat oven to 325ºF.
Pour the melted butter into a spray bottle and spritz the inside of the bread shell. Be sure to cover the bottom with a thin layer to prevent the custard from soaking through. Place the bread shell in a 10-inch cast iron skillet and place in the oven to toast the interior for 30 minutes.
Remove the bread shell from the oven and transfer the soaked bread mixture into the shell. Bake until the bread pudding souffles and reaches an internal temperature of 165 to 170ºF, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Remove and cool 30 minutes before slicing or scooping and serving.