Cornbread Pudding with Whiskey Caramel

By garciamoss

For a different look, bake in 8 to 10 lightly greased 8-oz. ramekins in a jelly-roll pan. Reduce covered bake time to 25 minutes; reduce uncovered bake time to 10 to 15 minutes.

Ingredients

• Whiskey Caramel:
• Vegetable cooking spray
• Ben Mims' Perfect Cornbread, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 cups milk
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 5 large eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup butter, cubed
• 1/4 cup whiskey
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup sugar

Preparation

Step 1

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly grease a 3-qt. baking dish with cooking spray. Cut cornbread into 2- to 3-inch pieces, and place in prepared dish. (You should have about 10 cups cornbread.) Cook butter in a 2-qt. saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until butter begins to turn golden brown. Remove pan from heat, and whisk in milk and next 3 ingredients until sugar melts. Whisk in eggs; pour mixture over cornbread. Let stand 10 minutes.
2. Bake, covered, at 350° for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 30 more minutes or until light brown and set. Let stand 10 minutes. Serve with Whiskey Caramel.

Whiskey Caramel:
Stir together 1 cup sugar and water in a saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, 3 minutes or until sugar melts. Cook, without stirring, 10 minutes or until medium amber in color. Remove from heat, and stir in cream, butter, whiskey, salt, and ground nutmeg. Whisk together egg and 1/2 cup sugar in a heatproof medium bowl; slowly whisk caramel sauce into egg mixture. Return mixture to saucepan, and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, 2 minutes or until thickened.