Bread pudding has been around since the 11th century. The first time I had Bread Pudding Soufflé  was at the famous Commanders Palace in New Orleans.

During the sequestered days, people were busy baking bread; myself included.  When I found a loaf of bread hiding in the bar frig, bread pudding came to mind.  Re-purpose stale egg bread like brioche, challah or Finnish pulla,  Italian, French or sour dough bread work well. I would file this under COMFORT FOOD!

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INGREDIENTS
Unsalted butter, for pan and ramekins
1/4  cup of sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of freshly ground nutmeg
3 large free range whole eggs
1 cup  whole milk ( 3% – 15% )
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/8 tsp. of salt
5 cups day-old white bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
Meringue: 6-9 large egg whites, room temperature
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 cup sugar
Whiskey – Custard Sauce, (recipe below)

INSTRUCTIONS
STEP 1 Bread Pudding
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8-inch square baking pan; set aside. Combine 1/4 cup sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a large bowl. Beat in whole eggs until smooth; whisk in milk and vanilla extract. Add bread cubes; stir, allowing bread to soak in well. Add more milk if needed. Bake for 25-30 minutes until pudding is golden and firm to the touch and a cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. It should be moist, not runny or dry. Cool to room temperature.
You now have made “bread pudding.”
You can stop here and not make the meringue for the soufflé portion. I suggest you still making the custard sauce. The sauce makes the bread pudding.
STEP 2 Meringue
Butter six 6-ounce ceramic ramekins; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk 6-9 egg whites with cream of tartar until foamy. Slowly add 1/4 cup sugar. Continue whisking until shiny and thick.  If whites stand up, like shaving cream, the  meringue is ready. Watch this video for tips.

STEP 3 Meringue and Sauce
In a large bowl, separate out the bread pudding into  chunks. Gently fold in a quarter of the meringue, being careful not to lose the air in the whites. Divide this mixture among the ramekins. Top the rest of the meringue on each ramekin, piling it as high as you can. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes.
TOPPING: Cut a slit on top of each soufflé and pour  the  custard sauce into each individual ramekin. Serve immediately.

WHISKEY  CUSTARD SAUCE
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cups (600 ml.) whole milk
4 large free-range egg yolks
2 tablespoons caster sugar
1 tablespoon flour
1 vanilla pod ( or 1/2 tsp vanilla extract )
1/4 cup bourbon -whiskey (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Pour milk and vanilla extract into a pot and bring just to the boil.
2. Remove from the heat and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar and flour until pale.
Gradually add the warm milk to the egg mixture. Whisk well to prevent clumping.
Pour the mixture back into the pan and cook gently on a low heat for about 20 minutes -or- until thick. Add the whiskey. Adjust to taste. Whisk continuously.
Taste to make sure the sauce is sufficiently sweet.  Pour into the center opening of each soufflé.

VARIATIONS

When I attended the Cookin Cajun Cooking School at Riverwalk in New Orleans, the chef said, “You could add anything to your bread pudding soufflé :  raisins, currents, even smarties.”

Get creative with this recipe. Use up ingredients hiding in your cupboards and in your frig.

Kids love smarties. They can help out in doctoring up  their own ramekin, before going in the oven.

TIP: If you don’t have enough stale bread, combine fruit or almonds with the cubed bread, before the final bake. Maybe add some cheese. Sweet or savory, it’s great for breakfast or dessert.

How about eggnog ‘bread pudding‘ soufflé? Sounds delicious for the holidays!

BREAD – the Staff of Life.  Along with your carbs you will get micro nutrients including thiamin, selenium, and folate from bread.

We really wanted to bring you a trending dessert that is gaining popularity. The cinnamon and nutmeg is fantastic!  I serve this warm dessert with whiskey custard along with a shot of whiskey on the side.

 

Memories of New Orleans! Bread Pudding Soufflé is still the number one asked for dessert at The Commander’s Palace.

How it was added to their menu? Commander’s Palace had so many egg whites left over from their Hollandaise Sauce that it  gave birth to their famous “Bread Pudding Soufflé“. Simply Splendid had the solution to the egg yolks by  making  a custard sauce topping.

KID FRIENDLY with plain custard!  A great snack. Keeps well in the frig for 2-3 days.