New Orleans Bread Pudding from Dooky Chase

Holy crap, y’all! This is going to make you want to slap your grandma it is so good. My mom found this recipe from a Southern Living magazine. When she was making it the first time for herself, she talked about all the ingredients over the phone. And it became my mission to get a copy of this fabulous thing. She’s made it several times since, and she has started calling the bourbon sauce “dooky sauce.” Yes, Maxine is a trip.

I tried it out this past weekend, and we liked it so much that we had it for breakfast the next morning, too. Shoot, after I write this, I’m going to warm some up. It is GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD.

We made a half recipe because it is only the two of us. The recipe below serves 8.

Recipe Review: Pineapple-Apple Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce

1 (16 ounce) day old French bread loaf, cubed
2 (12 ounce) cans evaporated milk
1 cup water
6 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained
1 large Red Delicious apple, grated
1 cup raisins (or leave them out if you don’t like them)
1 1/2 cups sugar
5 tablespoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup butter or margarine, cut up and softened
Bourbon Sauce

• In a big ole bowl, combine first three ingredients
• Stir in eggs, blending well
• Stir in crushed pineapple and next four ingredients
• Stir in butter, blending well.
• Pour mixture into a greased 13 x 9 inch baking dish
• Bake uncovered at 350 for 35 to 45 minutes or until set and crust is golden.
• Remove from oven
• Let stand 2 minutes.
• Serve with Bourbon Sauce

Bourbon Sauce

3 tbsp butter
1 tbsp all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup whipping cream
2 tbsp bourbon or whiskey
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 tsp nutmeg

• Melt butter in small saucepan over medium low heat
• whisk in flour
• cook, whisking constantly for 5 min
• stir in sugar and cream
• cook, whisking constantly, 3 minutes or until thickened (you’ll know)
• Stir in bourbon, vanilla, and nutmeg
• Simmer 5 minutes

From Chef Leah Chase, Dooky Chase Restaurant, New Orleans, Louisiana

Published in Southern Living