Recipe: New Orleans Bread Pudding

Crispy on the outside, and the lemon sauce is amazing!

New Orleans Bread Pudding with Lemon Sauce and Chantilly Cream
By Buz Whelan
Bread Pudding:
Ingredients:
3 large eggs
1 ¼ C sugar
2t pure vanilla extract
1 ½ t nutmeg
1 ½ t ground cinnamon
¼ C butter, melted
2 C whole milk
1 C chopped pecans, dry roasted
5 C very stale French or Italian bread cubes, including crusts
In a large bowl beat eggs at high speed until frothy and bubbles are pinhead-sized. Add next 5 ingredients and beat until combined. Beat in milk, then add pecans. This mixture may seem too sweet but the bland bread will balance it out.
Put bread cubes in greased loaf pan, add egg/milk mixture and toss until well blended. Let sit about 45 minutes as bread soaks up mixture, tamping down lightly with your fingers periodically. Place in 350 degree oven, immediately lower to 300 and bake 40 minutes. Raise temp to 425 and bake until well-browned and puffy, about 15 to 20 minutes more. Remove and cool on wire rack. To serve, remove pudding from pan, slice 1” piece, top with 2 T warm Lemon Sauce and a scoop of Chantilly Cream.
Lemon Sauce
Ingredients:
2 Lemons, halved
1C water
½ C sugar
2 t pure vanilla extract
4 t cornstarch dissolved in ½ C water
Squeeze lemons into 2 quart saucepan straining out pits. Add the water and sugar and drop in the lemon halves. Bring to a boil. Stir in the cornstarch mixture and the vanilla. Cook about 1 minute, stirring constantly. Transfer to pouring bowl or small pitcher, squeezing and straining out the lemon halves.
Chantilly Cream
Ingredients:
1 1/3 C heavy cream
2 t pure vanilla extract
2 t brandy
2 t Grand Marnier
½ C sugar
¼ C sour cream
Chill a large bowl and beaters. Beat the cream, vanilla, brandy and Grand Marnier on medium speed about a minute. Add the sugar and sour cream. Beat until soft peaks form. Do not overbeat or the mixture will become grainy.
The combination above will serve 6 to 8. The lemon sauce should be warm and the cream ice cold. Enjoy.