Here’s is my final offering for my 12 recipes of Christmas feature. Port soaked cranberry bread pudding. A wonderfully yummy warm dessert, full of flavor and perfect for the holidays.
Port soaked cranberry bread pudding is a shareable dessert which will serve at least six.
If you’re an avid reader of my blog, you will know that I like to create individual servings. But its time to show you examples of some family style dishes. This is a great family-style dish for the holidays. It will make you want to sit on the sofa wrapped in a fluffy blanket with a magazine or book in your lap. But beware, it’s a snooze-creater.
Bread pudding is a popular dish in the UK. I’m so glad it has become “trendy”. I get a nostalgic feeling when I see bread pudding on menus when I eat out, it’s a classic dish.
Bread pudding was a regular feature on my school dinners menu when I was young. It would be packed full of sugar and raisins. These days, I like my bread pudding to be lighter in consistency, rich in flavor, with just a layer of fruit. Port soaked cranberry bread pudding is just that, I love it.
I sought the guidance of Williams-Sonoma once again for this recipe. They also helped me out with my sea salt caramel doughnuts. I cooked the bread pudding in the same way they did, in a bain-marie. A bain-marie is also known as a water bath, a container that holds hot water that allows you to place an ovenproof dish in it to aid slow steady cooking.
Port soaked cranberry bread pudding has a top layer of crunch that gives way to a moist center. It has comfort food written all over it, so don’t be surprised if this vanishes as quickly as it was made.
Port Soaked Cranberry Bread Pudding
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries
- 1/4 cup ruby port
- 8 1 " slices of European white bread
- 4 medium eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- Pinch nutmeg
- 3 cups half & half
- 1 cup heavy cream
- Powdered sugar for garnish
- Orange zest for garnish
Equipment & Utensils
- Small sealable jar
- 9 " square ovenproof dish
- Large mixing bowl
- Large roasting pan or skillet
Instructions
- Place cranberries into a small jar and top with port.
- Allow to sit for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight.
- Remove crusts from bread and cut into approx. 1" cubes
- Place bread cubes into ovenproof dish. The dish should be filled to the brim, add more bread if need be.
- In a large bowl whisk together eggs and sugar.
- Add vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg and whisk again to incorporate ingredients.
- Strain cranberries, but reserve the port and add the port to the egg mixture and whisk thoroughly.
- Add a cup of half and half and whisk vigorously.
- Repeat until all of half and half has been added.
- Add the cream, again whisking vigorously to combine.
- Pour egg mixture over bread, completely soaking every piece of bread.
- Firmly press down on bread so that the bread can soak up the liquid.
- Set aside and let stand for at least 20 mins., regularly pressing down on the bread, every 5-7 mins.
- Once bread has taken in a lot of the liquid, scatter cranberries over the top, then press down on it one last time.
- Place ovenproof dish into roasting pan or large skillet, then add hot tap water to the pan or skillet.
- Carefully place into a preheated oven at 350 for approx. 1 hour.
- To test for doneness push a knife into the center of the bread pudding. It should come out clean or almost clean and golden on the top.
- Once done, sprinkle with powdered sugar, then sprinkle with orange zest.
- Serve hot
