Recipe: Amaretto Bread Pudding

Best Bread Pudding Recipe

Nothing beats this bread pudding recipe as delicious as this one from my mother's cookbook. Amaretto bread pudding is a warm, delectable dessert that is equally good hot from the oven or cooled with milk poured over it.

A quintessential comfort food, it can be enjoyed anytime the weather is cool—and especially over the holidays.

Amaretto is an almond-flavored liqueur and is used often to flavor cookies or other desserts. Originating from Italy, it is made from apricot and/or almond pits. It has a sweet flavor that reminds some people of cherries.

Amaretto is about 50 proof straight from the bottle, but the alcoholic effect is baked out in this recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 pound French bread loaf—plain (use thick unbuttered bread)
• 1 quart half and half (not heavy cream)
• 1/2 stick of butter—not margarine!
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 Tablespoons pure almond extract
• 3/4 cup sliced almonds
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup Amaretto

Cook Time

How to Make Amaretto Bread Pudding

Make the Bread Pudding:

1. Tear french bread loaf into bite-sized pieces and place in a medium size bowl.
2. Pour a quart of half and half over the bread and soak for one hour, stirring occasionally.
3. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together 1/2 stick of butter (melted), 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, and 3 eggs. Then stir in 2 tablespoons of almond extract and 3/4 cups of sliced almonds.
4. Put soaked bread pieces into a buttered 9 x 13 glass dish.
5. Pour almond mixture over the top.
6. Bake in a 325-degree preheated oven for 45 minutes.

Sauce for Amaretto Bread Pudding:

1. Cook 1/2 cup butter and 1 cup powdered sugar in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until hot.
2. Allow the sugar mixture to cool to room temperature.
3. Whisk in 1 egg and 1/4 cup Amaretto.

Final Preparation of the Amaretto Bread Pudding:

1. After the bread pudding is cooked, slice it lengthwise and crosswise. Spoon the sauce mixture over the top. Then, put the pudding back into the oven under the broiler until the sauce bubbles. WATCH CAREFULLY! It is really easy to burn the top of the pudding at the end!
2. Serve Amaretto bread pudding in bowls with milk, vanilla ice cream, or whipped cream, as desired!

© 2008 Stephanie Marshall