This Easy Bread Pudding Recipe with hard sauce has a rich, creamy texture with a crunchy, sweet topping! With or without a drizzle of hard sauce, this is a phenomenal dessert and a super easy way to use up older bread!
Preheat oven to 325°F. Adjust rack to the middle of the bottom half of oven. Butter an 8 x 8 baking dish.
In a large bowl, whisk eggs until smooth. Whisk in milk, cream, sugar, butter, salt and freshly grated nutmeg until incorporated.
Add the 5 cups of the cubed bread to the custard and mix with a wooden spoon or spatula until all of the bread is coated and has started to absorb the liquid. Mix in the raisins. Pour carefully into an 8 inch square baking dish, cover with plastic wrap and allow to sit on the counter for about 20 minutes.
Prepare the sugared topping while the pudding rests. In a small bowl, mix sugar, butter, cinnamon, and pinch of kosher salt together. Add the bread and toss to coat. Distribute on top of the pudding, pressing down slightly so that the larger pieces are partially submerged.
Bake in preheated oven for 40-50 minutes, or until the custard is set and jiggles like cheesecake. I like to press gently on the center of the pudding, you should feel some resistance.
Let cool on a wire rack at least 20 minutes prior to serving. You can serve it warm, room temperature or cold. I prefer it warm or room temperature
Make The Hard Sauce
Cream the butter until it is very soft. Add the sugar gradually, then the salt and beat these ingredients until they have a smooth, soft consistency.
Beat in the brandy and egg and chill the sauce thoroughly.
Sauce can be served warm or at room temperature. If you are concerned about the addition of a raw egg, then simply omit it. The egg loosens the sauce and makes the perfect consistency. Without the egg, you will want to serve the sauce warm.
Notes
Flavor Tips - Allow the bread to properly soak up the custard or the resulting bread pudding will seem dry.Variations – Add different spices, dried fruits or nuts!Storage – Store unbaked bread pudding covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Store baked bread pudding well-wrapped in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. Baked bread pudding can be frozen up to 2 months.Bread Pudding Recipe Adapted from American Cookery, The First American Cookbook. Hard Sauce recipe from The Joy of Cooking (First Edition). I converted the measurements to current standards.Hard Sauce: If you are concerned about the addition of a raw egg, then simply omit it. The egg loosens the sauce and makes it the perfect consistency. Without the egg, you will want to serve the sauce warm.