Barefoot Bloggers: Croissant Bread Pudding

This post almost didn't happen. I am sure it is a busy time of year for everyone and it almost was too busy for me to make this one. I did really want to make this recipe though so I managed to make it at the last possible time I could. I have always loved eating bread pudding but I have not made it since I baked in a restaurant 25 years ago - and that bread pudding served 100+. This bread pudding recipe is not much like that one I made 25 years ago.

With all the eating and desserts this time of year I decided it would be best to cut this recipe down to 1/4 of the recipe. I needed to get a croissant so I decided I would just stop with my son and eat at Panera for lunch and get some croissants there. Well turns out the croissants at Panera are huge. I decided just to get one and assume that would be at least the same as 1 1/2 normal croissants. The single croissant fit pretty much perfect in a 6x6 baking dish so I decided to use that. The recipe is a little hard to make 1/4 with the eggs. I ended up using just one jumbo egg and one yolk.

I haven't really had a bread pudding I haven't liked and I am not going to start now. This is not really like any bread pudding I have had before. It is much lighter and more delicate. I don't think you can really compare it to another bread pudding since it is so different. I did enjoy it though and would definitely make it again sometime.

Thanks to Peggy at the Pantry Revisited for this recipe pick. She made a few modifications to this recipe so check out her blog on that.

Croissant Bread Pudding

(Source: The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, page 192)

Serves 8-10

Ingredients

• 3 extra-large whole eggs
• 8 extra-large egg yolks
• 5 cups half-and-half
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 6 croissants, preferably stale, sliced horizontally
• 1 cup raisins

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the whole eggs, egg yolks, half-and-half, sugar, and vanilla. Set the custard mixture aside. Slice the croissants in half horizontally. In a 10 by 15 by 2 1/2-inch oval baking dish, distribute the bottoms of the sliced croissants, then add the raisins, then the tops of the croissants (brown side up), being sure the raisins are between the layers of croissants or they will burn while baking. Pour the custard over the croissants and allow to soak for 10 minutes, pressing down gently.
3. Place the pan in a larger one filled with 1-inch of hot water. Cover the larger pan with aluminum foil, tenting the foil so it doesn't touch the pudding. Cut a few holes in the foil to allow steam to escape. Bake for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake for 40 to 45 more minutes or until the pudding puffs up and the custard is set. Remove from the oven and cool slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature.