BREAD PUDDING WITH WHISKEY SAUCE (Steve Vandergriff)

By LADONMANK

Ingredients

• 2 2 2 tbsp. butter, softened
• 12 12 12 oz. loaf day old French or Italian type white bread
• 1 1 1 qt. milk
• 3 3 3 eggs
• 2 2 2 c. sugar
• 1/2 1/2 1/2 c. seedless raisins
• 2 2 2 tbsp. vanilla extract
• to 350 13"x9"x2" to 350 degrees. With a pastry brush, spread the softened butter evenly over the bottom and sides of a 13"x9"x2" baking serving dish. Set the dish aside.
• to the bread into chunks, dropping them into a bowl as you proceed, and pour milk over them. When the bread is softened, crumble it into small bits and let it continue to soak until all the milk is absorbed.

Preparation

Step 1

SAUCE:

8 tbsp. butter (1 quarter pound stick), cut into 1/2" bits
1 c. sugar
1 egg
1/2 c. bourbon

Meanwhile, prepare the sauce in the following fashion: Melt the butter bits in the top of a double boiler set over hot, not boiling, water. Stir 1 cup of sugar and 1 egg together in a small bowl and add the mixture to the butter. Stir for 2 to 3 minutes, until the sugar dissolves completely and the egg is cooked, but do not let the sauce come anywhere near a boil or the egg will curdle. Remove the pan from the heat and let the sauce cool to room temperature before stirring in the bourbon.
Serve the bread pudding at once, directly from the baking dish, and present the whiskey sauce separately in a sauceboat or small bowl.