Look Ma, I’m Blogging (With a Side of Bread Pudding)

Welcome again to the new Teaspoon of Spice blog – I’m the other teaspoon that will be posting and I’m excited to have a venue to share recipes, kitchen, family and food stories with all of you.

So for my inaugural post and to add to Serena (Teaspoon of Curry’s) carnival of cakes celebrating our launch, I whipped up some Cinnamon Raisin Bread Pudding. Granted, it’s not the first thing that comes to mind during the warmer months but I had a loaf sitting on my counter, getting staler faster that we could toast it and bread pudding is often my go-to dessert when I’m dining out. I’m pretty much sold on every variation from the classic New Orleans style rum soaked to the over-the-top double chocolate croissant. (Which is interesting as I’m always a little edgy around egg-y type dishes like soufflés or spoonbreads – this dates back to an unfortunate taste test in my food labs course in college…but I digress.)

Bread pudding couldn’t be simpler and I think it’s one of the more forgiving baking recipes where you don’t have to measure or weigh ingredients to the exact 1/8th of a teaspoon or ounce for ideal results.

Blogging Bread Pudding

5 – 6 cups thick sliced cinnamon raisin bread, cubed

2 tablespoons butter, melted

3 ¾ cups lowfat milk

1/3 cup sugar

Zest of one small lemon

1/8 tsp almond extract

Pinch of salt

½ tsp cinnamon

¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg

4 eggs, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-inch square pan.

Place bread on cookie sheet with lip and drizzle with butter. Toast in oven for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and put bread in pan.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk remaining ingredients. Pour over bread, making sure bread is completely coated. Let soak for 15 – 20 minutes.

Bake in oven for 40 – 45 minutes until set and springs back when press the center. Cool a bit before serving.