Hi Everyone, De Trini(s) might never let me back in deh country for what I have done with their beloved Punch de Crème but I think if they stop long enough to taste my Punch de Crème Bread Pudding they might forgive me. After all, it is the season of forgiveness. Right?
There’s nothing quite like a glass of rummy, fragrant, thick, creamy Punch de Crème. It is even better when you’re taking sips and listening to Lord Kitchener’s Drink A Rum playing in the background. Without knowing it, you find yourself doing a lil jig, glass in one hand and the other in the air.
Drinking is one of the best ways to enjoy Punch de Crème but this custard mixture offers itself to be used and transformed in many other ways. Pleasurable ways. Addictive ways. The drink can be drizzled over a variety of desserts and it can be converted into a number of sweet treats. Rice Pudding, ice cream, sorbet, cakes and bread pudding immediately come to mind.
I first made this particular bread pudding last year over the holidays. I was looking for a dessert. Sure there was Christmas cake but I figured that people would have been having their fill of cake in their own homes and everywhere else they went during the holidays. Even the self-proclaimed haters of bread pudding could not resist the Punch de Crème bread pudding. They started off with small pieces and then graduated to cutting themselves large pieces of the pudding.
To give the bread pudding some extra tender care, I had baked it in a hot water bath (bain marie). I wanted the custard to cook gently given the alcohol in the mixture and I knew that this temperate style of cooking the bread pudding would guarantee that soft, tender pudding texture.
This is the last weekend before Christmas and I know you are busy so I won’t keep you long. Make the bread pudding if you are looking for a dessert or if you just want to make the drink, by all means, please do so.
Merry Christmas Everybody!
Cynthia
Punch de Crème
Bread Pudding
For this recipe use a 9 x 13” Pyrex or other ovenproof dish. You will need a large roasting pan in which the 9 x 13 pan can sit comfortably so that the pudding can cook in a hot water bath (bain marie).
Baking the pudding directly in the dish is fine too. The top, bottom and edges will get brown and crusty which is really yummy. However, the look and texture of the baked pudding will be different from the one that has been cooked gently and indirectly.
For the bread pudding to truly absorb the custard it must be soaked in the mixture for at least 6 – 8 hours. Overnight is ideal. This long period of absorption will also improve the texture of the bread pudding when baked.
Bread rolls such as Tennis Rolls can be used in place of regular bread.
INGREDIENTS
● Punch de Crème (recipe follows)
● 8 cups cubed bread (preferably 1 – 2 days old)
● ½ cup golden raisins (sultanas)
● 2 tablespoons melted butter (preferably unsalted)
● Boiling water
For Punch de Crème:
● 6 eggs
● 3 cans full cream evaporated milk
● 2 cans condensed milk
● 2 teaspoons Angostura Bitters
● 1 ¼ cups dark rum or more to taste
● ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
● Zest of two limes (substitute with orange)
DIRECTIONS
For Punch de Crème:
1. Add eggs and lime zest and whisk until frothy.
2. Add evaporated milk, condensed milk, bitters, nutmeg and rum and whisk to incorporate.
For bread pudding:
1. Add the bread to a large bowl or container.
2. Pour the Punch de Crème over the bread. Using a large spoon or spatula, keep pressing the bread into the custard until the bread is heavy with the liquid. Cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight.
3, When you are ready to bake the bread pudding, remove the bowl or container from the refrigerator and let it come up to room temperature; scatter and fold in the raisins.
4. Meanwhile put a kettle of water on to boil and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
5. Brush the 9 x 13” baking dish with the melted butter then pour the bread pudding mixture into the dish. Transfer the dish with the bread pudding to the larger roasting pan.
6. Now this next step you can do one of two ways, choose the option that is easier for you. First, you can pour the boiling water into the roasting pan on the countertop and then carefully transfer the pan and dish to the oven or you can place the roasting pan with the dish of bread pudding in the oven and then pour the boiling water into the roasting pan. Let the water come halfway up the sides of the dish with the bread pudding.
7. Bake for 50 minutes to an hour or until a knife inserted comes out clean.
8. Remove the pan from the oven and wait about 20 minutes for the water to cool down a little and then, remove the dish with the bread pudding and place on a wire rack to continue cooling. Serve warm, at room temperature or cold.
