Growing up in Atlanta, my friends and I flocked to Krispy Kreme when we saw the neon Hot Now sign glowing red in the window, promising freshly fried and glazed doughnuts. Today, St. Louis has so many amazing doughnut options all over the city that it’s easy to forget about a simple glazed dozen from Krispy Kreme. What people don’t realize is that these childhood treats make for perfect bread pudding a few days later.
Stale, day-old Krispy Kreme doughnuts make one of the best breakfast desserts ever. This bread pudding is thick and rich, not too sweet, and perfect with a side of espresso-tinted whipped cream. Buy a dozen the day before your next brunch, indulge in one or two (or three – no judgment), and then leave that box out overnight for an easy breakfast the next day.
Krispy Kreme Bread Pudding 6 to 8 servings
9 stale Krispy Kreme or other glazed doughnuts, cut into sixths
2 cups heavy cream, divided
1 cup milk
5 large egg yolks
1 large whole egg
¼ cup condensed milk
1½ tsp. espresso powder
¼ cup brewed espresso, chilled
• Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the doughnut pieces in an even layer. Bake 30 minutes, until dry and toasted. Let cool.
• Raise the oven temperature to 350 degrees.
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 1 cup heavy cream, the milk, egg yolks, egg, condensed milk and espresso powder. Add the doughnut pieces and stir to coat. Let soak 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes to evenly distribute the liquid.
• Lightly butter a 9-inch pie pan and pour the soaked doughnut mixture into it. Place the pie pan in a roasting pan filled with enough hot water to cover the sides of the pie pan. Cover the bread pudding with foil and bake 40 minutes, then remove the foil and bake another 10 to 15 minutes until the pudding is set.
• Preheat the broiler. Broil the bread pudding 3 minutes, until the top is light brown. Let cool.
• Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, use a hand mixer to whip the remaining 1 cup heavy cream and espresso on high speed until soft peaks form, 5 to 7 minutes. Serve with warm bread pudding.
This article appears in August 2015.
