It's National Sticky Bun Day. I'd take sticky buns over buns of steel any day.
A couple weeks ago, I received a recipe submission from Grand Lux Cafe--a little something called warm sticky bun bread pudding. Sticky buns = fantastic. Sticky buns coated in custard and baked to sweet perfection? OMG territory.
I'd never heard of Grand Lux before, but apparently they have locations in several states, including New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Florida, and Illinois. Who knew? Not me. But upon perusing their dessert menu, I don't think I'd mind paying them a visit at all.
But I digress. Let's get down to the buns at hand!
Warm Sticky Bun Bread Pudding Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound Brioche or Challah
- 8 ounces (2 sticks) melted butter
- 1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- ¼ tsp. nutmeg
- ¼ tsp. salt
For the custard
- 2 cups milk
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 4 whole eggs
- 4 egg yolks
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
1. Cut the bread into 1” cubes. Place the bread cubes into a large mixing bowl.
3. Combine the butter, sugars and spices in a mixing bowl, whisking to combine completely.
4. Pour the mixture over the bread, tossing to fully coat the bread cubes with the mixture. Spread out into a 9x13 baking dish.
6. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Be sure to stir the bread cubes once or twice while toasting.
7. While the bread is toasting, make the custard. Whisk all ingredients together until evenly combined. Once the bread has toasted, remove the pan from the oven.
10. Pour the custard over the bread cubes. Allow the mixture to sit for 10-15 minutes before cooking.
12. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and place into a 300° oven. Bake for 20 minutes.
14. Remove foil from pan and continue to bake for an additional 20-25 minutes, or until light golden brown and the custard has set. You can test this by inserting a paring knife into the center of the pudding. If the knife comes away clean, or with very little pudding clinging to it, the pudding is ready.
15. Allow the pudding to cool for at least 30 minutes before serving. To serve:
- Top the pudding with toasted pecans and warm caramel sauce.
- Serve with either vanilla ice cream or crème anglaise.