Recipe: Bread Pudding with Whiskey Sauce

BREAD PUDDING

1 (10 oz.) loaf stale French bread, crumbled (or 6-8 cups any type bread)
4 cups milk
2 cups sugar
8 tbsp butter, melted
3 eggs
2 tbsp vanilla

Any combination of the following:
1 cup raisins
1 cup coconut
1 cup chopped pecans
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg

Combine all ingredients; mixture should be very moist but not soupy. Pour into buttered 9x12 or larger baking dish. Place into non-preheated oven.

Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 1 hour 15 minutes, until top is golden brown. Serve warm with whisky sauce.

WHISKY SAUCE

1/2 cup butter (1 stick, 1/4 pound)
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 egg yolks
1/2 cup bourbon (to taste)

Cream butter and sugar over medium heat until all butter is absorbed. Remove from heat and blend in egg yolk. Pour in bourbon gradually to your own taste, stirring constantly. Sauce will thicken as it cools.

Serve warm over warm bread pudding.

NOTE: For a variety of sauces, just substitute your favorite fruit juice or liqueur to compliment your bread pudding.

Makes 16-20 servings
Source: New Orleans School of Cooking and General Store, 620 Decatur Street, The Jackson Brewery, New Orleans, LA 70130, (504) 525-2665