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This bread pudding will not be taken lightly. Stale croissants are smothered in caramel sauce blended with bourbon and infused with lapsang souchong, a variety of black tea available at The London Tea Room. It’s topped (twice) with chopped pecans and milk chocolate chips, then drizzled with maple syrup. The tea adds a smoky complexity to the caramel that’s almost akin to bacon (something I’ve considered adding next time – and there will be a next time). This bread pudding is not overly sweet, so serve it with maple syrup if you prefer it sweeter.
The whole thing is easily put together and can even be made the night before a great brunch. I can’t wait to make this again, this time served warm with some vanilla ice cream. Enjoy and happy baking!
Caramel Croissant Bread Pudding
4 to 6 Servings
Adapted from a recipe by Nigella Lawson
2 large day-old croissants
¾ cup milk
½ cup plus 1 Tbsp. heavy cream
¼ cup lapsang souchong tea
¾ cup sugar
Squeeze of lemon juice
2 large eggs
2 Tbsp. bourbon (or vanilla extract)
Handful milk chocolate chips, divided
Handful toasted pecans, chopped, divided
Maple syrup or ice cream, to finish
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Tear the croissants into large chunks and place in a 9-inch pie pan or 8-inch square pan. Set aside.
• Bring the milk and cream to a simmer in a saucepan over medium to medium-high heat until it almost reaches a boil. Stir in the tea, reduce heat to low and steep 5 minutes. Cover, remove from heat and steep another 10 minutes. Use a fine mesh sieve to strain the tea-infused milk into a bowl and set aside. Discard the tea leaves.
• Swirl the sugar, lemon juice and 3 tablespoons water in a saucepan to help dissolve the sugar. Caramelize the mixture over medium to high heat until it turns a deep amber color, about 3 to 5 minutes.
• Remove the pan from the heat and add the tea-infused milk, whisking quickly to ensure the caramel doesn’t harden. (If it gets too thick, warm over low heat and stir until melted.) Set aside to cool slightly.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs and bourbon. Then whisk the eggs into the warm caramel (Be sure the caramel is warm, not hot, or the eggs will cook.). Immediately pour the mixture over the croissants and let soak 10 minutes.
• Sprinkle with half the chocolate chips and pecans. Bake 20 minutes until bread pudding is set. Top with remaining chocolate chips and pecans. Serve warm with maple syrup or vanilla ice cream.
This article appears in April 2014.
