Chef notes
Topped with a sour lemon sauce, this light, fluffy bread pudding is flecked with orange zest and studded with dried fruits, including prunes and apricots. For a festive holiday gift, wrap each bowl in colorful cellophane, then attach a gift card that includes instructions for serving and storing the pudding.
*To make vanilla sugar, place vanilla beans and sugar in an airtight container; let stand 1 week, shaking occasionally.
Did you make this recipe? Show us! Your dish may be featured on the TODAY Show.
Ingredients
- 1½ cups sugar
- 3 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 pinch salt
- 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- 2 lemons, zested
- 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- unsalted butter, for bowls
- 3/4 cups vanilla sugar* or granulated sugar, plus more for sprinkling
- 1/2 cup cognac
- 7 ounces assorted dried fruit, such as peaches, apricots and pears
- 7 ounces pitted prunes
- 5 cups heavy cream
- 2 cups half-and-half
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped to loosen
- 1 orange, zested
- 12 large egg yolks
- 2 large loaves day-old brioche (1 pound each), cut into 1¼-inch cubes
Preparation
For the sour lemon sauce:
Bring sugar, cornstarch, salt and 2½ cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat, whisking constantly. Cook, continuing to whisk, until mixture thickens, about 5 minutes.
Stir in butter and lemon zest and juice. Cook, whisking, until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes more. Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl to cool completely. Sauce can be refrigerated up to 2 weeks in an airtight container.
For the bread pudding:
1.Brush two 1½-quart ovenproof bowls with butter and sprinkle with vanilla sugar; tap out excess. Combine in a medium bowl 1/2 cup cognac, 3/4 cup warm water, dried fruit and prunes to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until fruit has softened and absorbed the liquid, about 10 minutes. Coarsely chop fruit.
2.Bring cream, half-and-half, vanilla sugar, cinnamon, vanilla bean and seeds, and zest to a boil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
3.Lightly beat egg yolks in a medium bowl. Whisking constantly, gradually ladle half the hot cream mixture into the yolks. Pour yolk mixture into saucepan with remaining cream mixture. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly and scraping sides of pan, until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes. Pass custard through a fine sieve into a large bowl; discard solids. Cool completely.
4.Preheat oven to 350 F.
5.In another large bowl, combine brioche cubes and chopped fruit, reserving 1/2 cup fruit. Pour in custard; toss to combine. Divide bread mixture between prepared bowls. Top each with half the reserved fruit. Sprinkle with vanilla sugar. Place a parchment round in water to dampen and transfer to top of pudding bowl to cover. Use a rubber band to secure, and tie with kitchen twine. Repeat process with second bowl. Let stand until bread has soaked up liquid, about 20 minutes.
6.Set bowls in deep roasting pan. Transfer pan to oven; add enough boiling water to come 3 inches up sides of bowls. Bake 1 hour. Uncover; bake until set, about 30 minutes more. Serve warm or at room temperature, with sour lemon sauce. Puddings can be refrigerated up to 3 days; let cool completely before covering with plastic wrap. If desired, reheat in a 350 F oven, just until warm.
