panettone bread pudding with spiced orange sauce

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• bread pudding:
• 1 (12 ounce) panettone, cubed
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 1/4 cups heavy cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon grand marnier or other orange-flavored liqueur
• 1 pinch salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
• 2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest
• 2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into bits
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• sauce:
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup grand marnier or other orange-flavored liqueur
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg

Recipe

Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 1 hr

Ready Time: 2 hrs


• arrange the panettone bread cubes to fit compactly into a buttered 2 quart casserole dish. do not compress too tightly; set aside any leftover bread cubes.
• whisk together 3 eggs and 1/2 cup sugar until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture becomes light yellow in color. pour in the cream, vanilla, and 1 tablespoon orange liqueur; whisk to combine. stir in 1 pinch salt, 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, lemon zest, and orange zest. pour this mixture over the panettone cubes in the casserole dish. cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• preheat oven to 350 degrees f (175 degrees c).
• remove the bread from the refrigerator, uncover, and dot the top of the bread pudding with 2 1/2 tablespoons butter, and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of white sugar.
• set casserole dish into a shallow pan that is 2 to 3 inches larger in diameter than the casserole dish. set these pans the center rack of the preheated oven. pour hot water into the outside pan, until it reaches a depth of 1 inch around the casserole dish, creating a water bath.
• bake the pudding in the water bath until it is fully set and a knife inserted into the center of the pudding comes out clean, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. the water bath will help the pudding to cook evenly and maintain a light texture. carefully remove the pudding from the water bath and cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.
• just before serving, make the sauce by melting 1/2 cup butter in a saucepan over low heat. stir in 1 cup sugar, 1/4 cup orange liqueur, 3 tablespoons water, 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, and 1/8 teaspoon salt. stir and heat over medium heat until the sugar is fully dissolved and the liquid is heated through. remove from heat.
• in a small mixing bowl, whisk 1 egg until well beaten. while whisking the egg, slowly pour 2 tablespoons of the hot mixture into the bowl with the egg. then, while whisking mixture vigorously, slowly pour the warmed egg mixture back into the sauce.
• place the saucepan back over low heat, gently stirring the sauce and raising the temperature slowly to medium. continue to stir until the sauce almost reaches a simmer, reducing the heat as necessary if the mixture threatens to boil. continue stirring until the sauce thickens, 1 to 2 minutes. spoon over the bread pudding and serve immediately.