Bread pudding is what happens when adults don’t have time to make French toast for breakfast. Breakfast for dessert! With booze! My favorite dark rum is Gosling’s Black Seal rum, from Bermuda, but any dark rum will work in this recipe. And what, you may ask, will you do with the remaining rum? Why, enjoy the famous Bermudean Dark & Stormy, of course: 1 part Gosling’s Black Seal rum to 4 parts ginger beer. This drink conjures up visions of pirates & windy nights, dark clouds & shipwrecks, and while I wouldn’t recommend it as an accompaniment to bread pudding, it does go very well with Homemade Tortilla Chips and Tomato, Mango & Onion Salsa.
Island Bread Pudding
serves 8
1 teaspoon + 4 tablespoons butter
1 baguette
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup pecans, chopped & lightly toasted
3 eggs + 1 egg yolk, beaten
1/4 cup + 1/3 cup dark rum
1 cup sugar + 1/2 cup sugar
3 cups whole milk
1 teaspoon ground mace
Slice baguette 1/2 inch thick and arrange artistically in a buttered 9×9-inch glass baking dish. Arrange raisins & pecans among pieces of bread. Beat eggs until combined, then whisk in 1 cup sugar, 1/4 cup rum, & milk. Pour mixture over bread in baking dish; sprinkle mace over bread. Bake in 375ยบ oven until well-browned, about 1 hour.
When pudding has been in the oven for about 45 minutes, melt 4 tablespoons butter in small saucepan over low heat, then stir in 1/2 cup sugar and 1/3 cup rum. Stir until sugar is dissolved, then, off heat, beat in egg yolk. Return to low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and pour over hot bread pudding. Allow to cool for 30 minutes, then serve.
