Vanilla Pecan Bread Pudding in a Buttered Rum Sauce
For the pudding
One loaf of French Bread, torn or cut into 1-2" pieces
¾ C. dark brown sugar, unpacked
3 C. milk
4 Tbsp. butter
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. cloves
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. vanilla
2/3 cup pecans
2 ½ Tbsp. rum
4 eggs, beaten
For the sauce
1/3 C. heavy whipping cream
1 C. white sugar
½ C. butter
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 ½ Tbsp. rum
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 315°, and place bread pieces into a large bowl. Set aside.
2. In a large saucepan, melt brown sugar, butter, milk, vanilla, pecans, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and rum over medium heat, stirring constantly.
3. Once the sugar and spices have dissolved and stirred in, pour the mixture over the bread pieces. Allow to soak for 30 minutes, gently stirring every 10 minutes or so.
4. Add the beaten eggs to the bread mixture and fold in until combined. The bread should have absorbed most of the mixture, leaving some left over at the bottom of the bowl.
5. Pour the mixture into a 9x9 nonstick baking pan, drizzling the leftover sauce over the top. Use a spatula to spread the bread mixture into all four corners. Bake for 1 hour and fifteen minutes to an hour and a half, or until the top is brown and the middle is set. If you bake the bread pudding for too long, it will become dry.
6. In the same sauce pan, heat the heavy whipping cream, white sugar, and butter over medium heat. When you see bubbles start to form, immediately turn the heat down to low to prevent boiling, which will cause the sugar to crystalize.
7. Once the sugar has dissolved, add the vanilla and the rum. Pour over individual slices of bread pudding, not over the entire pan.
Additional Notes: When storing, keep the sauce and bread pudding separate. Leftovers are best off in the fridge, but the bread pudding can be left on the countertop. When reheating a single slice, oven-warmed always works best (350° for 5-10 minutes, with 2-3 Tbsp. of sauce on top). Microwaves’ will make the bread chewy, but a minute would work in a microwave as well.
