Cognac Bread Pudding

I've never been a big fan of bread pudding. So when Kaia requested it for dessert at her celebratory "I passed my Master's defense" party I wasn't very excited. But this party was in her honor so I had to make the bread pudding. The problem was compounded by the fact that Kaia is a finicky eater and wasn't thrilled with any of the variations I suggested (fruits, nuts, chocolate, etc). Luckily the idea of a cognac bread pudding appealed to her - the result was absolutely delicious. I decided to bake and serve the bread pudding in individual soufflé cups but a 9 by 13 inch baking dish would work just as well.

Serves 8-10

Ingredients:
Butter or cooking spray to coat soufflé cups
8-10 cups day-old bread cubes (brioche, challah, croissant, or Hawaiian Sweet bread)
4 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
½ teaspoon cinnamon
4 tablespoons butter, melted at room temperature
4 cups whole milk (or some combination of milk and cream or half and half)
2 tablespoons Cognac (or your favorite Armagnac, brandy, or rum)
Confectioner’s sugar (about 1 tablespoon) and Crème Anglaise for serving

The night before serving, slice the bread into cubes (about 3/4-inch) and leave out overnight on a baking sheet to dry out a bit - you don't want to use fresh bread. Some people believe in removing the crust but I leave it on, I think it adds great texture to the final dish and also looks nicer.

Two hours before serving, coat the soufflé cups with butter. Distribute the bread cubes evenly between the cups. Place the cups in a large roasting pan and bring a kettle of water to a simmer (the bread pudding is cooked in a water bath (known as a bane-marie) to prevent it from drying out, you need enough water to come half way up the sides of the cups or baking dish). Preheat the oven to 300F.

Using a stand (or hand) mixer whisk the eggs and sugar until light yellow in color (~5 minutes). The egg and sugar mixture should fall back from the whisk in a slow ribbon. Add the remaining ingredients and combine well. Pour half the milk mixture over the bread cubes. Wait about 10 minutes and add the remaining milk mixture. Be patient, the bread will soak up all of the milk mixture.

Pour the simmering water into the roasting pan to about half way up the sides of the soufflé cups. Be careful to not splash the water into the cups. Bake for 1½ hours.

Remove from the oven and let cool for at least 15 minutes before serving. I know they are ready to serve when I can remove them from the bain-marie with my hands.

Dust generously with confectioner’s sugar and serve with the crème anglaise (pour it right into the cups - see picture at the top).

Bon appetit!