APPLE AND CRAISIN BREAD PUDDING

From Chef Oonagh Williams of Gluten-Free Cooking with Oonagh

A warm, fall-themed dessert to keep you feeling cozy as the nights start to turn cold!

Ingredients:

• 2 gluten-free plain bagels cut into small cubes.  Don’t use soft white bread, it cooks up too mushy.  I’ve made this with Udi’s and Canyon Bakehouse plain bagels. 
• 3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into small pieces, like shredded cheese. Large chunks will make pudding fall apart when cooked.
• ¾ c brown sugar
•  ½ stick (2 oz, 60 ml)  butter
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie or apple pie spice or 1 tsp cinnamon plus ½ tsp powdered ginger plus ½ tsp ground nutmeg.
• ½ c craisins
• 2 tsp gluten-free vanilla essence
• 2 tbsp rum – optional, but gives lovely flavor
• 2 cups half and half or whole milk
• 5 large eggs
• brown sugar for top

Directions:

1. Melt butter in a 6 cup saucepan, add apples, sugar and spices and cook over gentle heat until the apples are nicely soft without becoming apple sauce.  They don’t really cook much more in the bread pudding. I also mix this and cook in microwave in m/w safe bowl, add rest of ingredients and then refrigerate covered. 
2. Add craisins, vanilla and rum to pan, stir in bread cubes.  Adding bread cubes should be sufficient to cool the mix to add eggs and milk.
3. Beat eggs and milk together – I tend to use my immersion blender so I don’t have ‘threads’ of egg still showing. Gently mix into bread mix.  
4. Pour into greased 8 x 8 brownie pan or equivalent sized pan and allow to soak for at least 30 minutes.  The large quantity of liquid should be absorbed leaving a small quantity of excess liquid around the edges.  Insufficient liquid will leave the bread hard and dry in places.
5. Sprinkle the top with brown sugar for a crusty topping. Place on a baking sheet in case of spills as it is a very full baking dish.
6. Bake in a preheated 350* oven for about 45 minutes. The bread pudding will have risen up, the top will be set, crusty and light brown and if you dig into the center it should be soft and moist but not wet with loose liquid. If you’re cooking it cold from the fridge, it will probably need 
7. Remove from oven and cool for about 10 minutes before serving with caramel sauce. Reheats well.

Caramel sauce:

• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 tbsp water
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 4 tbsp butter 
• 2 tbsp rum – optional

1. Put sugar in an 8” skillet with water. Cook, covered, over low heat until sugar dissolves.  Covering pan while dissolving sugar stops formation of sugar crystals on side of pan.
2. Remove lid, increase heat and cook until syrup turns a deep gold color, swirling pan will mix light and dark syrup.  You will notice burnt sugar smell and a smoke above pan if overcooked. Undercooked is tasteless. Be very careful as boiling sugar gives a nasty burn. Don’t stir mix as it will crystallize.
3. Remove from heat, carefully add cream and butter, it will spit and bubble and harden. Return to low heat and stir until sauce is smooth again. Add rum if wanted.  Thickens slightly on cooling.