Famous Dave's Bread Pudding with Plantation Praline Sauce

FAMOUS DAVE’S BREAD PUDDING WITH PLANTATION PRALINE SAUCE

A Father’s Day tradition 

INGREDIENTS: 

Unsalted butter, room temperature 

1 loaf (1½ pounds) cinnamon egg bread (see recipe below)

2/3 cup golden raisins 

1½ cups sugar 

4 cups milk 

2 cups whipping cream 

¼ cup vanilla extract 

8 Eggs, beaten

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

Whipped cream and homemade vanilla ice cream 

Plantation praline sauce (see recipe below) 

Coat bottom and sides of 13-by-9-inch baking pan heavily with butter. (Even better in cast iron skillet or individual cast iron skillets). 

Tear bread into 1-inch pieces. Mix with raisins in bowl. 

Lay bread mixture evenly in prepared dish, turning crust side down, as thistends to burn easily. 

In bowl, whisk sugar, milk, whipping cream, vanilla, eggs and cinnamon until blended. 

Pour over bread mixture. 

 Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place baking dish in larger 4-inch deep baking pan. 

Add water to reach halfway up side of dish. 

Bake in preheated oven 1 hour. 

Remove from water bath. Let stand 20 minutes. 

 Cut pudding into 9 portions and put into large dessert bowls. 

Add a scoop of ice cream next to the pudding, then top with warm praline sauce over the pudding and the homemade ice cream. Top with whipped cream if desired. Makes 9 very large servings. 

PLANTATION PRALINE SAUCE: 

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter (cube ½ cup) (divided) 

¾ cup chopped pecans 

1½ pounds light brown sugar (about 3¾ cups packed) 

¾ cup whipping cream 

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon 

1¼ Cups sour cream 

¾ teaspoon vanilla extract 

To make this sauce, it is very important to follow the directions carefully and to use a candy thermometer. 

In large saucepan, heat ½ cup of the butter until melted. Add pecans and mix well. Bring to a boil. 

Cook until pecans begin to change color. Mixture will foam up. Add remaining ½ cup cubed butter and mix well. This will cool pecan mixture and stop the cooking process. Remove from heat. 

Combine brown sugar, whipping cream and cinnamon in a saucepan and mix well. Cook over low heat until blended, stirring constantly. 

Increase heat and cook until mixture comes to 230 degrees on a candy thermometer. Stir in pecan mixture. Add sour cream and vanilla and mix well. Remove from heat. Makes 4 cups.

CINNAMON SWIRL EGG BREAD RECIPE:

Ingredients:

2 pkgs active dry yeast

1/3 C warm water

1 C warm 2% milk

1 C sugar, divided

2 large eggs, room temp

6 Tbsp butter, softened

1 1/2 tsp salt

5 1/2 to 6 C AP flour

2 tbsp ground cinnamon

Directions:

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add milk, 1/2 C sugar, eggs, butter, salt and 3 cups flour; beat on medium speed until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.

Turn dough onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, Turn once to grease the top. Cover; let rise in warm place until doubled, about 1 hr.

Mix cinnamon and remaining sugar. Punch down dough. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide in half. Roll each portion into and 18x8 inch rectangle; sprinkle each with about 1/4 C cinnamon sugar to within 1/2 inch of edges. Roll up jelly roll style, starting with a short side; pinch seam to seal. Place in 2 greased 9x5 inch loaf pans, seam side down.

Cover with kitchen towels; let rise in a warm place until doubled, bout 1 1/2 hours. Preheat oven to 350.

Bake until golden brown 30-35 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool.

Each loaf is 16 slices. Each slice 132 calories.

*I skip the first couple steps by throwing all the ingredients in the Zojirushi on the dough mode. 

Bread tip: make sure bread is not fresh, the more dry it is the better it absorbs the eggy mixture. Use any raisin cinnamon bread, old Krispy Kreme glazed donuts or whatever you prefer!