Last week, I visited friends in South Carolina. Along with the culture shock that accompanies a trip to a different region of the United States, I found that the eating patterns there are different too.
Restaurants take a lot more pride in eating local that the restaurants I tend to visit in New York or New Jersey.
Even the heartiest dishes like shrimp and grits with butter, hearty succotash, and greens sautéd in bacon fat seem less indulgent because produce is fresh and brightly colored and ingredients are sourced locally whenever possible.
Though I only experienced a small portion of the South Carolina culinary landscape I agree with this food philosophy.
When I know that I am eating whole, natural foods, regardless of their calorie count, I can enjoy them with far less guilt than if they were produced from packaged mixes with a lot of ingredients ending in -ose.
I decided to keep the momentum going when I came home from vacation by baking this week’s Bread Baker’s Apprentice Challenge, Cinnamon Raisin Walnut Bread.
Now, when you have a loaf – no, make that two loaves – of Cinnamon Raisin Walnut bread just sitting on your counter staring at you like deer in headlights – and a craving for something hearty, to boot – you have some choices to make. Simple choices: Butter or jam? Toast or French toast?
Those are all fine and good, but you can also make bread pudding.
Bread pudding is a dish traced back to 18th century England, when it was traditionally a “poor man’s dish.” Now, no matter how local your eggs, butter and cream, bread pudding is definitely something that falls under the “once in awhile treat” category.
- 3 large eggs
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- 2½ cup 1% milk
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- ½ cup raisins
- ½ cup walnuts (optional)
- 6 slices cinnamon raisin walnut bread (or your favorite cinnamon raisin bread – you can even use bagels) cut into cubes
- Heat oven to 350F. Combine eggs, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a mixing bowl. Stir to combine. Add milk, raisins and butter. Mix well.
- Stir in bread cubes and mix until evenly coated. Let stand for about 10-15 minutes. Once bread has soaked up liquid (and there should still be some liquid remaining in the bowl. If there isn't, you can add more milk).
- Pour mixture into a greased 8×8 baking pan. Bake for about 40 minutes or until bread cubes are puffy and golden brown. Serve warm or room temperature with the topping of your choice.
23 Comments
Chrissy
July 28, 2009 at 9:01 amThose photos make me warm and happy! I love cinnamon raisin walnut bread, and the bread pudding makes me want to be home on the couch with a blanket and a huge portion. My brother lives in South Carolina but, unfortunately, when visiting him, I’ve only seen tourist traps and golf courses – next time I’ll have to venture further out to find the good food!
Susan
July 21, 2009 at 12:34 pmYum! When you start with good bread, the pudding almost takes care of itself. Sounds very comfy, and a great sweet to indulge in during these unseasonably cool/rainy days we’re been having lately.
sunny
July 18, 2009 at 1:41 pmi agree… homemade, natural foods are always the better choice over prepackaged stuff!! that bread looks amazing! 🙂
Jamie
July 18, 2009 at 8:59 amI am trying to figure out how it is that you have enough of this amazing bread left to make bread pudding? It looks way to good not to eat simply fresh maybe smeared with a bit of butter. Truly beautiful. Okay, I love bread pudding, too, and can really see how scrumptious this would be!
alexandra's kitchen
July 17, 2009 at 8:28 pmLove the new site! Congrats on the move. This bread looks divine. I would love to have it with butter and drizzled with honey. Yum!
lisa (dandysugar)
July 17, 2009 at 6:08 pmLooks fantastic, I love cinnamon raisin bread. I also love that you wrote recipe “modified with significantly less butter!”
The pudding looks delicious….So many lovely things you can do with that gorgeous loaf!
Lisa
July 17, 2009 at 5:13 pmLOVE bread pudding, as it’s always a delicious way to take care of any leftover, stale bread (outside of french toast and bread crumbs..lol). Yours look spectactular, but everything you make is spectacular, so what else is new? 🙂
Erin
July 17, 2009 at 3:21 amI love seeing menus of restaurants here in Tennessee, when they mention all local farms they get their produce or meat from. I’m always excited to see that one of the farms is also I get my CSA produce from. I guess I didn’t know they didn’t do that everywhere!
bodelou
July 16, 2009 at 10:31 pmmmmm bread pudding is one of my favorite desserts. its a toss up betwn that and custard of some kind, or tres leches cake. HOWEVER, have you ever tried a savory bread pudding? they are equally delicious. while i am not a fan of either, our chef at work made a bacon and bleu cheese bread pudding.
Kerstin
July 16, 2009 at 10:29 pmCinnamon raisin bread is just so yummy and making it into bread pudding is an awesome idea!
elra
July 16, 2009 at 6:03 pmAwww, perfect crumb! Couldn’t get any better then this.
Marta
July 16, 2009 at 4:37 pmGreat use of your bountiful of delicious bread! I think this is better than French Toast, more comforting and gooey!
I’ve never been to the south, but every southerner I’ve met takes huge pride in their traditional cuisine. They always make me hungry with their talk… 🙂
Wendy
July 16, 2009 at 1:05 pmI can’t wait to make this loaf this weekend. I’m hearing nothing but good things about it. YUM.
gp
July 16, 2009 at 11:35 amwell I’m hooked… anything, anything with cinnamon raisin has my attention ! 🙂
thanx
gp
kat
July 16, 2009 at 9:11 amOh yeah that bread just screams out to be used in bread pudding!
brandi
July 16, 2009 at 8:37 ambeautiful! i love cinnamon raisin bread, so bread pudding made with it should be heaven.
Susie
July 16, 2009 at 8:19 amGreat looking bread and a terrific idea to make bread pudding.
Nice baking along with you,
Susie
VeggieGirl
July 16, 2009 at 7:45 amLove your philosophy about avoiding packaged products with ingredients ending in “-ose,” haha 😀 Love the bread pudding!!
Julia @ Mélanger
July 16, 2009 at 6:58 amWow, the texture of that bread looks amazing. And must admit, I love a good bread pudding. Grew up with them. So simple and delicious!
Lydia (The Perfect Pantry)
July 16, 2009 at 6:54 amA bread pudding like this would be elegant enough to serve as the ending to a fine meal — which is what I’d have to do, or I’d be tempted to eat the entire thing myself!
Sophie
July 16, 2009 at 4:23 amwaw,…this deesrt looks amazingly beautiful!! MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
Daryl
July 16, 2009 at 4:16 amThat picture is amazing and I agree with you about fresh whenever possible.
Sophia
July 16, 2009 at 3:42 amAt first I was thinking french toast, but bread pudding sounds like a better idea! Lovely!