Bourbon Street Bread Pudding

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously butter a 2-quart baking dish and fill with bread cubes. Set aside.
• Heat 3 tablespoons of butter, milk, brown sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, whisking often, then reduce to a gentle simmer and cook for about a minute, or until sugar is fully dissolved.
• Meanwhile, whisk eggs together in a large bowl. Whisk about ½ cup of the hot milk mixture into the eggs. Add another ½ cup of hot milk and whisk to combine. Pour in the remaining hot milk and whisk smooth. Stir in Bourbon and vanilla.
• Pour mixture over bread cubes. Let sit 5 minutes, gently pressing down a few times to help the bread soak up the custard.
• Bake, uncovered, for about 45 minutes, or until the top is browned and the custard is set.
• While the bread pudding bakes, make the Bourbon sauce. Heat sugar in a small heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring and scraping the pot with a rubber spatula, until the sugar clumps and then melts completely and turns an amber color. Add butter and whisk until melted and combined.
• Carefully whisk in heavy cream (the mixture will sputter). Gently simmer for 10-12 minutes until thickened (sauce will continue to thicken as it cools). Remove from heat and stir in Bourbon and a pinch of salt.
• To serve Bourbon Bread Pudding, pour a thin layer of bourbon sauce into the bottom of a rocks glass. Spoon in a layer of warm bread pudding, drizzle with more bourbon sauce, and top with whipped cream. Serve immediately.