Apple Bread Pudding

By ltrodrigu

This is a divide-and-conquer recipe. The three main components can be made days in advance and simply assembled and cooked the day of.

Ingredients

• For the Applesauce:
• 6 tart green apples (about 3 pounds)
• 6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• For the Custard:
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
• 2 eggs, plus 2 yolks
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• For the Clarified Butter:
• 1 cup unsalted butter
• For the Cinnamon Toast:
• 5 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 12 slices brioche loaf, sliced 1/2- inch thick
• For Caramelizing the Dish:
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons water

Details

Servings 10
Adapted from wsj.com

Preparation

Step 1

Make Applesauce:
Peel, halve and core apples and cut into ¼- inch slices. Toss with lemon juice. In a large sauté pan over high heat, melt butter, scrape in seeds from vanilla bean and add bean. Once mixture starts to bubble, add apples and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in sugar and reduce heat to medium. Cook, stirring, until liquid reduces to a thick sauce and apples are cooked through, about 8 minutes. (Different apples give off different amounts of moisture, so be sure to cook off enough liquid to make a very thick sauce.) Pour into a bowl and remove vanilla bean, and let cool. Purée cooled apple sauce in a food processor or blender. Refrigerate, covered, until ready to use.

Make Custard:
Add milk, cream, nutmeg and cinnamon to a medium lidded saucepan over medium-high heat, scrape in seeds from vanilla bean and add bean. Scald milk mixture by bringing it nearly to a boil then immediately removing it from heat. Cover and let stand 30 minutes.

In a bowl, whisk together eggs and yolks. Remove bean and cinnamon stick from saucepan. Place milk mixture on stove top over medium-high heat and return to scalding. Pour over eggs, whisking constantly. Strain and discard solids. Let liquid stand for 30 minutes, and refrigerate until ready to use. (All components prepared up to this point can be stored in refrigerator until you are ready to proceed with assembling dessert, up to 4 days.)

Clarify Butter:
Melt 1 cup butter in a saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat and let settle a few minutes. Skim foam from surface. Use a spoon to scoop out clarified butter, leaving solids in pan. You should have about ¾ cup. Discard milk solids or save for another use. Let clarified butter cool to room temperature.

Make Cinnamon Toast:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir sugar and cinnamon into room-temperature clarified butter. Place sliced brioche on a baking sheet. Toast in oven until outside is slightly crisp but inside is still soft, 5 minutes. Let cool. Leave oven on. Brush cooled brioche with a thin layer of cinnamon butter.

Caramelize Soufflé Dish:
Bring sugar and water to a boil in a small saucepan over high heat. Boil until caramel is a deep amber. Pour into a 7-inch soufflé dish, quickly tilting to coat bottom.

Assemble Bread Pudding:
Line bottom of soufflé dish with brioche, trimming edges so slices fit snugly. Fill any gaps with trimmings. Spoon just enough custard over top to cover bread. Gently press to ensure custard soaks in. Spoon half of applesauce over custard, then cover with another layer of custard. Repeat process: toast, custard, applesauce, custard. End with two layers of toast and remaining custard. Let sit 20 minutes. Bake until top of pudding is brown and crusty, 1 hour. Remove from oven and let cool 30 minutes.

Before serving, briefly hold soufflé dish over very low heat on stove top to melt caramel on bottom. Run a thin knife around edges of pudding to free it from sides of dish. Place a platter on top of dish, flip and place on work surface. Knock on bottom of dish and wait until you hear pudding release. If pudding seems loose, wrap an aluminum foil collar around it and let set 15 minutes. Serve warm.