Eggnog Bread Pudding with Nutmeg and Caramel

This post is dedicated to Peabody of Culinary Concoctions by Peabody. There are two reasons why.

One is, that Peabody indirectly caused me to even think about starting a food blog. Someone at work brought in something homemade and it was so good, I asked for the recipe. My co-worker's wife eventually sent me the recipe but it was a link to a foodblog. I then started clicking through the other links on the blog (which was Peabody's site) and the recipes looked so interesting, and the photography was so excellent, it made ME start thinking about maybe doing a blog. I mean, hey, I've cooked and baked all my life. It's something I enjoy. So I started TheMerlinMenu. And although it in no way competes with Ms. Peabody, I, ahem, am up to a couple of hundred visitors a day, so I might be doing something right.

The SECOND reason, is that Peabody has posted a few delicious Bread Pudding recipes. And I LOVE bread pudding. So she has renewed my interest in the dessert. I know it's easy, bread and milk and eggs and sugar, with bourbon crap on top, but wait! Peabody thinks outside the box, check out her Pear Nutmeg Bread Pudding.

Anyway, so I made up this recipe. It's a basic bread pudding, but the fact is, if I didn't have a blog, and if Peabody hadn't inspired me to start eating mounds of bread pudding again, it might not have happened. LOL

So, here's my attempt at Eggnog Bread Pudding with Nutmeg and Caramel Sauce. And, as I type this, it's baking and filling up my kitchen with an awfully good aroma. My fingers are crossed.

Ingredients and Method:

1 french baguette
4 eggs, beaten
3 cups egg nog
2 tsp ground nutmeg (I use a store bought grinder)
1/2 cup golden raisins

(Yes I deliberately omitted cups of sugar and additional spices, as I think the Egg Nog is sweet enough, and I wanted something not overly sweet) Plus, remember, you are going to pour hot caramel over it. Huh?

By the way, it just came out of the oven.... It is exactly as I wanted it....Please try it, awfully good.

Leave baguette out overnight so it will be slightly stale.

Break the baguette into pieces into a 9 x 9 baking dish. (lol, or is it 8 x 8, I don't know, but you know what I mean, one o'them square baking dishes)

In a mixer beat eggs and eggnog and plenty of nutmeg together.

Sprinkle the raisins over the bread and pour the egg, eggnog, and nutmeg mixture evenly over the bread. Use the back of a spoon and mash down the bread a bit so it soaks up the egg mixture, also mash down the raisins as the ones exposed on top will blacken.

Let it sit for 30 minutes to allow the liquid to soak into the bread. Mash down slightly again with the back of a spoon before placing in a 350 degree oven.

Bake for 60 minutes and up to 15 minutes longer depending on how hot your oven is. You want the bread pudding to be browned all over and puffed up.

Cool for an hour. Serve on a plate or bowl with heated caramel drizzled all over. A touch of whipped cream would be nice too.

Peabody, you may have already adapted a recipe like this, but if not, please try. I think you'll like it. And thanks for your blog and constant encouragement.



Enjoy!