Apple Pecan Bread Pudding With Warm Caramel Sauce

Apple Pecan Bread Pudding. I confess. I cannot stop making bread pudding for it is one of the most fascinating of all the breakfast dessert kingdom. It is economical; yet, when made correctly, glamorously even, it is far more wild than it looks.

Apple Pecan Bread Pudding

• 1 loaf of French bread (about 1 pound)
• 8 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 large Honeycrisp apples, freshly grated (or, if preferred, thinly sliced)
• 1 cup pecans, chopped (optional)
• 1/4 cup butter

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Place the bread pudding into a 9X13 baking pan coated with butter.

Streusel

• 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 2/3 cup uncooked oatmeal
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup pecans

Place streusel ingredients in a food processor and process on pulse just until all the ingredients incorporate together into a crumbly streusel. Sprinkle all over the top of the bread pudding. Loverly.

Bake for about an hour or until a knife poked into the center comes out clean.

While the bread pudding bakes, make the caramel sauce and then set aside.

Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce

• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 2 cups brown sugar, packed
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Melt butter over low heat in a medium-large saucepan. Add brown sugar to melted butter and turn heat up to medium. Whisk together just until sugar has dissolved. Watch closely. When the sauce starts to boil and gets foamy looking, allow to cook for about three-four minutes without stirring. Carefully add vanilla, salt, & cream. Remove from heat and stir. Set aside to cool.

When bread pudding is done baking, place servings into pretty bowls (preferably glass so the caramel sauce can show off). Top bread pudding with caramel sauce and a few chopped pecans.

It cannot be tamed for it is wild to its core. Many will not be brave enough but those who embark upon the new, glamorous bread pudding adventure will love every bite.

Crikey that’s delicious, mate!