Classic New Orleans Bread Pudding With A Bourbon Sauce

Total Time: 1 hr 10 mins Preparation Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• Servings: 10
• 1 teaspoon unsalted butter
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup light-brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup bourbon
• 2 cups half-and-half
• 8 slices day-old french bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 4 cups)
• 1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
• 4 cups spiced cream, recipe follows
• 1 sprig fresh mint
• 2 teaspoons confectioners' sugar, shaker

Recipe

• 1 preheat the oven to 350 degrees f.
• 2 grease a 6-cup (9 1/4 by 5 1/4 by 2 3/4-inch) loaf pan with butter. whisk the eggs, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and bourbon together in a large mixing bowl until very smooth. add the half-and-half and mix well. add the bread and raisins, and let the mixture sit for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
• 3 pour mixture into the prepared pan. bake until the pudding is set in the center, about 55 minutes. let cool for 5 minutes. to serve, cut the pudding into 1-inch thick slices. lay each slice in the center of each serving plate. spoon some of the bourbon sauce over the pudding. top with the spiced cream. garnish with a sprig of fresh mint and confectioners' sugar.