Lucy Buffett’s Blueberry Almond Bread Pudding
Lucy Buffett is serious when it comes to sugar. “I love some sugar,” she says with a laugh. Lucy devotes the first chapter in her latest cookbook, Gumbo Love, to desserts that are truly Southern favorites. In this issue of Coastal Palate Magazine, Lucy personally shares her spin on a New Orleans favorite, bread pudding with blueberries and almonds.
Makes 8 servings
Pudding Ingredients
1½ teaspoons unsalted butter
7 cups cubed stale bread of your choice (I like to use brioche or French bread, and if I’m feeling terribly decadent and they are available, I use almond croissants)
¾ cup fresh blueberries
¼ cup slivered or sliced unsalted almonds
3 large eggs, at room temperature 2 cups whole milk
½ cup granulated sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Topping Ingredients
¼ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup packed brown sugar
4 tablespoons (½ stick) cold unsalted butter, chopped into cubes
¼ cup finely chopped salted almonds
Garnish
½ cup Lucy’s Favorite Salted Caramel Sauce (see below)
Fresh whipped cream
Fresh blueberries
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat a 9-inch square baking pan with the butter.
- Place a third of the bread cubes in a single layer in the bottom of the prepared baking pan. Add half the blueberries and half the almonds. Top with another third of the bread cubes. Add the remaining blueberries and almonds. Top with the remaining bread cubes.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, granulated sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon. Pour the milk mixture over the bread and blueberry mixture in the pan, making sure the bread is completely covered by the milk mixture.
Topping Directions:
- In a medium bowl, mix together the flour and brown sugar. Cut the butter into the flour and brown sugar with a pastry blender or fork until coarse crumbs form.
- Stir in the almonds. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the bread pudding.
- Bake for 40 minutes, or until the bread pudding is golden brown and cooked through.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for at least 30 minutes. Drizzle the salted caramel sauce over the top and serve with fresh whipped cream and blueberries.
Note: The bread pudding can be made a day in advance and stored, covered, in the refrigerator. Just reheat the pudding and add Lucy’s Favorite Salted Carmel Sauce, fresh whipped cream, and fresh blueberries before serving.
Reprinted from: “Gumbo Love: Recipes for Gulf Coast Cooking, Entertaining, and Savoring the Good Life” by Lucy Buffett.
Available at Barnes & Noble.
REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION.