This is not your average bread pudding. It is unlike anything you’ve ever eaten in any restaurant or bakery. (To be honest, I don’t even like bread pudding “on the outside.” The only exception to this would be a chocolate chip bread pudding that Claim Jumper used to sell. It came with a Jack Daniels sauce that was delish! I wrote the company to ask them why they no longer sell their best dessert. Their response?
“Thank you for your comments and inquiry regarding our menu. Unfortunately, the recipe for the requested item in not available to the public. We greatly appreciate your patronage and hope to see you again soon!”Not a word about why it is off the menu. Gotta love Corporate America. They tell you nothing in a compendium of words. And yes, I did ask for the recipe.
This is Puerto Rican bread pudding from my great-grandmother. It is completely different in texture and taste. It is so moist, you’ll need a napkin to wipe off your damp fingers. Wait! Was I supposed to use a fork with that?
Traditionally, bread pudding uses stale bread or the heels of bread that people didn’t eat. I’ll toss these remnants into the freezer until I’m ready to make bread crumbs. And take care, my friends, that these bread-puddings-in-the-making don’t stay in the freezer long enough to get freezer burn! It will show up in the flavor. Instead of cubing the bread, you will need to grind it into crumbs. I use my blender for this, but whatever ‘grinder’ you have on hand should do the trick. (Tip: It’s easier to grind your bread while it is frozen.)
This is also a chance for you to get a little creative. You don’t have to use the same bread in the crumb mixture. Got a little rye? Use it! Some pumpernickel? Toss it in. Combining crumbs from different types of breads will impart a unique flavor to your bread pudding. I assume that you could also use store-bought plain bread crumbs, but I can’t swear to the results. If you decide to go this route, tell me how it works out!
Beyond getting your crumbs in order, this recipe is super simple. You’ll mix all the ingredients together, except the raisins. No special technique – just your own special blend of bread crumbs mixed in with the milk, eggs, and other ingredients. To be honest, the recipe instructions are a little dicey. It seems that Grandma Mae would eyeball her ingredients, much like I do today. See! I come by this honestly! I’ve tried to give you more exact measurements to aid you in your quest, but feel free to increase or reduce the spices to your preference. We like a lot of cinnamon in our family.
Those of you who read Kitchen Confessions regularly know that I have a penchant for action (albeit out-of-focus) shots, so here we go. Pour the mix into your baking pan. WAIT on those raisins! You’re so impatient. If you add the raisins too early, they sink to the bottom.
Once the oven has reached the proper temperature and you are ready to place the bread pudding into the oven – then you can sprinkle the raisins on top. Raisins are another ingredient you can have a little fun with. Traditionally, my Grandma Mae always used dark raisins, but sometimes I’ll use golden or a mixture of both. One day, I foresee my getting into a mood and going all tropical fruit on the bread pudding. However, purists (i.e., my father) will never eat it, so I’ll have to save that idea for another audience. And no, that’s not how I sprinkle my raisins. The awkward angle of my hand is for your benefit, dear reader.
As I said at the beginning of this post, this bread pudding is unlike any other. And unless you grew up in a Puerto Rican household, chances are that you’ve never tasted it before. If you find it is too sweet for you, just reduce the sugar a little. After you remove the bread pudding from the oven, resist the urge to slice into it right away. This baby has to cool! And it doesn’t need whipped cream. The cream is my sad attempt to make the picture look fancy. It’s not a fancy dessert. It’s the kind of dessert you make for family or close friends, and all it needs is a fork (or your fingers). So take a gander at the recipe card and enjoy!
Kitchen Confessions 