DiAnn Mills Brings the Best Bread Pudding

Welcome to Fresh Fiction's Holiday Potluck! Some of your favorite authors are bringing scrumptious treats to this virtual gathering, and they are kindly offering their recipes so you can make these goodies at home and share them with friends and family this season.

This scrumptious bread pudding was first introduced to me at a resort in the Big Bend area of West Texas. My husband and I were celebrating our wedding anniversary, and he ordered it. I had no room for dessert, but I agreed to one bite. The delicious warm pudding, topped with a generous dollop of whipped cream, melted in my mouth. Creamy. Sweet. Delectable. Several more bites followed until I took over. The Spanish cook was so sweet to write down the ingredients and instructions, but I don’t read Spanish! Once home, I translated the recipe from an online source, and then searched for a similar one to make sure I was right. This is it, straight from Paula Deen! And it’s fabulous. This is the one dessert for your holiday potluck that nothing will be left. Enjoy! I know all my FBI heroes and heroines will be coming back for seconds.

The Best Bread Pudding

Ingredients

-2 cups granulated sugar

-5 large beaten eggs

-2 cups milk

-2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

-3 cups cubed Italian bread, allow to stale overnight in a bowl

-1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

-1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened

-1 cup chopped pecans

For the sauce

-1 1/2 cup brown sugar

-1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted

-1 egg, beaten

-2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

-1/4 cup white Karo syrup

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 13 by 9 by 2-inch pan.

Mix together granulated sugar, eggs, and milk in a bowl; add vanilla. Pour over cubed bread and let sit for 10 minutes.

In another bowl, mix and crumble together brown sugar, butter, and pecans.

Pour bread mixture into prepared pan. Sprinkle brown sugar mixture over the top and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until set. Remove from oven.

For the sauce:

Mix together the brown sugar, butter, egg, Karo syrup, and vanilla in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir together until the sugar is melted. Simmer on very low heat about 10 minute. Pour over bread pudding. Serve warm or cold.

Are you salivating yet? Why not satisfy your cravings with a great book? Save the waistline and treat yourself to a copy of FIREWALL by DiAnn Mills, and pre-order DOUBLE CROSS (April 2015, Tyndale) today!