This dessert evolved out of a need to get rid of an excess of sliced sandwich bread and a desire to have a boozy dessert on St. Patrick’s Day. Since I am a huge fan of bourbon, I naturally leaned in that direction, and bread immediately makes me thing bread pudding. So, a chocolate chip bread pudding with a bourbon caramel sauce is what ended up making its way to the table after dinner.
Ingredients
Bread Pudding
1 loaf of sliced white or Italian sandwich bread
5 eggs, beaten
1 cup white sugar
4 cups milk
1 tsp bourbon vanilla extract
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 loaf of sliced white or Italian sandwich bread
5 eggs, beaten
1 cup white sugar
4 cups milk
1 tsp bourbon vanilla extract
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ cup semisweet chocolate chips
Caramel Sauce
1½ cups sugar
¾ cup water
4 tbsp butter
4 tbsp whipped cream cheese
¼ cup Bourbon
¼ cup milk
1½ cups sugar
¾ cup water
4 tbsp butter
4 tbsp whipped cream cheese
¼ cup Bourbon
¼ cup milk
First, we need to dry out the sandwich bread. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Arrange the bread on sheet trays and bake it in the oven for 5-10 minutes. You want the bread to be dried but not toasted, so baking time will vary based on the moistness of the bread. Once it is dried, cut the bread into “cubes.” I try to get about 12 “cubes” per slice of bread.
Now to make the custard. Add the eggs, sugar, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg to a bowl and whisk to fully combine. Arrange the bread in a greased 9 × 13 baking dish, sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly throughout, and pour the custard over the bread. Be sure that all of the bread pieces are fully coated. Allow it to soak for about 15-20 minutes.
After it finishes soaking, put it in the oven. Allow it to bake for about 45 minutes. You want the top to brown a little and the liquid to fully bake into the bread turning into a thick custard.
While the bread pudding is cooking, it’s time to make the caramel sauce. Add the water and sugar to a small pot over low-medium heat. Stir to dissolve the sugar into the water and allow to simmer until it begins to brown and turn into a caramel sauce. You are looking for a light brown or golden color. This should take about 15-20 minutes. At that point, remove the pot from the heat and whisk in the vanilla and cream cheese. Once fully incorporated, whisk in the bourbon and the milk. Once everything is fully blended, set aside. It will thicken a little as it cools.
Serve the bread pudding warm. Slice a square portion from the baking tray and serve it with a generous portion of the bourbon caramel drizzled over the top.