Secretary of the Interior

In times of need, some people turn to mac and cheese or chocolate chip cookies, but I crave for the warm and comforting bite that only bread pudding can offer at the end of my meal. Sweet and silky smooth, bread pudding will satisfy any palette.

All bread puddings are essentially baked custards. They are the most versatile in the use of varieties of breads, additions of fruits, nuts or chocolates, and alcohol flavorings such as rum, bourbon, or brandy. Virtually any yeast bread will perform beautifully—the richer the bread, the more flavor the bread puddings will have.

In this recipe, I am marrying the traditional bread pudding with the famous New Orleans “Bananas Foster.” It’s a happy union and it’s like having two desserts in one delicious bite.

Bananas Foster Bread Pudding
2 1/2 cup whole milk

1 cup whipping cream

1 cup sugar

5 large eggs

1 Tablespoon vanilla

2 Tablespoon banana liquor

1/8 teaspoon salt

14 slices white bread, crusts trimmed and cut into small pieces

Combine milk and the rest of ingredients except bread in a large bowl, whisk to blend well. Arrange bread pieces evenly in 11-by-7 baking dish. Pour milk mixture onto bread and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, remove dish from the fridge, and place it in a 13-by-9 baking pan. Pour hot water into pan to come up halfway up the sides of pudding dish. Place in oven. Bake until set and golden on top, about 45 minutes. Remove from water bath. Serve warm with bananas foster sauce. Serves 8-10.

Bananas Foster Sauce
4 very ripe bananas, peel and cut bananas into 1″ chunks
1/3 cup unsalted butter
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon pinch of salt
1/4 cup rum

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat, add sugar, cinnamon and salt and cook until bubbly.
 Stir in bananas and rum, cook until bananas are soft for 2 to 3 minutes. Serve immediately over bread pudding.