BY CASSANDRA HAMMERSTONE
July 2024
Can you put fruit in bread pudding? Yes. Yes, you can. You might hesitate, thinking that the fruit may give off more liquid than the bread pudding can handle, but not so. The beauty of a bread pudding is that it’s versatile and can absorb plenty, as long as you're starting with a good custard base.
So now that it’s July and the market is overflowing with stone fruit, it’s time to add bread pudding to the list of minimal-effort summer desserts perfect for showcasing peaches, nectarines, cherries and plums. Here, buttery sweet brioche is the foundation for a sweet vanilla custard, dotted with white chocolate and my favorite, red plums.
Start by pitting and slicing six plums. You’ll want around three cups of fruit. Toss the plum slices with two tablespoons of honey and set them aside to begin to macerate, which will encourage the plums to give off their juices faster during baking.
Plum skins are tender enough that you don’t need to remove them before baking. If you substitute peaches or nectarines, it’s up to your preference if you want to peel them. But, honestly, I don’t see the need. I like the texture and additional flavor they add, and they’ll soften just fine during baking.
Cut a loaf of brioche into two-inch cubes. If it’s already stale, then you’re ready to go. If not, bake the cubes for around ten minutes at 275° to dry them out. This will ready them to more easily absorb the custard and juices from the plums. You should have around eight cups of bread cubes. Once they’re baked, add them to a buttered 9x13 baking dish and increase the temperature of the oven to 375°.
For the richest custard, I’ve begun cutting out the egg whites and using just the yolks. It makes a difference. Separate four eggs and reserve the whites for another use. You can refrigerate them for a few days, or just bake them off in a muffin tin alongside the bread pudding for tomorrow’s breakfast sandwiches.
Whisk the egg yolks with the sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon and salt. Whisk in the cream and then stream in the melted butter, whisking continuously.
While I've highlighted plums in this recipe, you can easily substitute just about any stone fruit, or combination of stone fruits.
Scatter the white chocolate evenly over the brioche. Chips or morsels are fine, but chocolate chopped into large chunks from a baking bar is better if you want discernible bites of white chocolate throughout the bread pudding.
Pour the custard over the brioche and press the cubes until they’re soaked. Then, add the plums with all their juices, nestling them in between the cubes.
Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until the top is golden, the edges are bubbling and the bread pudding is firm. You can also check with an instant read thermometer that the center has reached 165°.
Serve scoops of the warm bread pudding warm topped with ice cream, or cool to room temperature and slice into squares. While I've highlighted plums in this recipe, you can easily substitute just about any stone fruit, or combination of stone fruits.
Plum Bread Pudding with White Chocolate
Season: Summer
Makes 6 servings
Ingredients
6 medium plums, pitted and sliced
2 tbsp honey
1 loaf brioche bread
4 oz white chocolate, morsels or chopped
4 egg yolks
½ cup granulated sugar
1½ tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp kosher salt
2 cups heavy cream
6 tbsp salted butter, melted, plus more for greasing
PREPARATION
Heat oven to 275°.
In a medium bowl, gently mix the honey with the plum slices to coat. Allow the plums to sit for at least 15 minutes to begin to macerate.
Cut the loaf of brioche into two-inch cubes and spread the cubes in an even layer on a baking sheet. Bake in the oven for about 10 minutes, or until they begin to dry out but are not yet toasted. Place the cubes in a buttered 9x13 baking dish.
Increase the oven temperature to 375°.
Whisk the egg yolks with the sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon and salt. Whisk in the cream, then slowly stream in the melted butter while whisking continuously.
Scatter the white chocolate evenly across the brioche. Pour the egg and cream mixture over the brioche cubes and incorporate, gently pressing until the cubes are soaked, about five minutes. Add the plums and their juices, and nestle them in between the cubes.
Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until the top is browned, and the bread pudding is firm and bubbling around the edges. Serve warm.
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