Bourbon Croissant Bread Pudding

 

I had a few old croissants lying around and have been watching a lot of Food Network lately, so I was inspired to find something creative to do with them.  I found this recipe for bread pudding that sounded yummy, so I gave it a try.

Emily sat on the couch and watched some more Food Network while I baked.

Bourbon Croissant Bread Pudding (from Savory Sweet Life)

INGREDIENTS:

4-5 large croissants, day old preferably
1 1/2 cups  sugar
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups whole milk
3-4 tablespoons bourbon or rum OR 2 tablespoons vanilla
5 eggs, beaten
1/2 teaspoon table salt

DIRECTIONS:

Tear croissants in half and place in a 9×13 casserole/baking dish.  In a large sauce pan, cook sugar and water on medium high heat stirring occasionally.  While sugar syrup is cooking, combine cream, milk, bourbon and salt in a microwavable container and microwave for 2 minutes (remembering to keep an eye on the sugar syrup).  In another bowl beat 5 eggs, set aside.  Sugar syrup should begin to change colors to a deep amber.  When you see the sides turning amber brown, start stirring.  When the entire syrup turns amber, turn off heat.  Grab a whisk and slowly add heated cream mixture and stir like crazy.  When the cream hits the sugar syrup it will bubble somewhat violently and will try to crystallize.  DO NOT PANIC.. just continue to stir like crazy until your caramel sauce is smooth.  Once sauce is smooth, slowly add egg mixture while stirring everything.  Pour everything over croissants.  Croissants may start to float.  Just press them down making sure every piece gets completely coated with caramel mixture.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Allow the bread pudding to rest while preheating and when your oven is ready bake for 30 minutes.

 

Notes:
- As you can see, it got a little crispy in the oven.  Everything takes a little longer when you’re working with an infant as an assistant and reading a great birth story like Lucy’s.  You can check out Emily’s birth story here.
- I also didn’t read the directions properly and added the eggs into the cream mixture before microwaving it.  Also Lucy’s fault!
- I didn’t have any bourbon so it just has vanilla.
- For some reason I could not get the sugar syrup to turn amber and it was bubbling like crazy and crystallizing right from the start.  Maybe I should have measured out the water even more carefully?
- I also only had 3 croissants and I tore them up into pieces.  Seriously a bad day for me reading recipes.
- So the recipe was a borderline fail for me.  But it still tasted delicious!

 

Oh, and what I said about Emily watching the Food Network?  Not true.  Not only are we not ok with planting her in front of the TV as a babysitter, she’s just not interested.

Starting to get a little mad…

 

…and completely disinterested.

Look at those mad little fists!  And crying without tears – she already knows how to get her mama’s attention when she wants some cuddles and to participate in the action!