Try this delicious twist on brioche bread pudding for a seasonal treat!
Do you ever just grab a random item while grocery shopping? I know I do and this recipe is a tasty result of my bringing home a bag of mini brioche buns, all because as I was leaving for the shop Brad yelled, “We are out of breakfast food!” Right…
Life in England has changed the way we eat and shop. I didn’t think it would but I suppose when in Rome… 3 years ago I would’ve come home with a bag of bagels and now I bring home a bag of brioches. 🙂
As an homage to my new home and English food I decided to make a traditional bread and butter pudding of sorts but also to bring something of my own into it, i.e. EGGNOG.
I’ve shared my love for eggnog on several occasions and even my own recipe on this blog.
As I was making this brioche bread pudding it dawned on me what I am making is very similar to a baked French Toast. Hello Christmas morning!
I know exactly what we will be eating for breakfast now. The best thing is you can get it all ready the night before and then pop it in the oven while the kids rip into their stockings. I can’t wait.
How do I make bread and butter pudding
Preheat your oven to 180C/350F. Slice your brioche buns thinly.
Chop your white chocolate.
Line the bottom of a buttered baking dish with the brioche slices and sprinkle with some white chocolate.
Continue layering until all the brioche slices are used.
Separate egg whites from the egg yolks and in a medium bowl whisk 1 egg and 2 egg yolks with sugar.
In a small saucepan mix your single cream with nutmeg, cinnamon, mixed spice and vanilla, heat until it just begins to simmer.
Take 1/2 cup of hot cream and slow pour in your egg mixture while whisking the whole time. Then pour in the rest of the cream, continue whisking to combine.
Pour your cream mixture over the brioche slices. Let it sit for 5 minutes and then press the slices into the cream mixture.
Set the baking dish into a roasting pan and pour boiling water into the pan (this method is called bain-marie). Bake at 350F/180C for 30-40 minutes until the pudding has risen a bit and the eggnog custard is set. Serve warm with some cream.
Ingredients
- Brioche buns or a loaf- 250 gr
- White Chocolate chopped- 50 gr
- Egg-1
- Egg yolks-2
- Sugar- 4 tbsp.
- Single Cream/Half and Half- 2 cups/ 15 oz
- Nutmeg- 1/4 tsp.
- Cinnamon- 1/2 tsp.
- Mixed spice a blend of cassia, coriander seed, caraway, nutmeg, ginger, cloves-1/2 tsp.
- Vanilla essence - 1 tsp.
Instructions
- Cut the brioche into thin slices.
- Chop white chocolate.
- Line the bottom of a buttered dish with a layer of brioche, sprinkle some chocolate on top.
- Continue layering the brioche and chocolate until finished.
- Whisk together the egg, egg yolks and sugar.
- In a saucepan mix single cream/half and half with the spices and vanilla, heat until just simmers.
- Pour 1/2 cup of hot cream into the egg mixture while whisking the whole time. Add the remaining cream, continue whisking.
- Pour the eggnog custard over the brioche and let stand for 5 minutes, then lightly press the brioche slices into the cream mixture.
- Place the baking dish in a roasting pan and pour boiling water into the pan so it comes halfway up the side of a baking dish.
- Bake in the preheated oven at 350F/180C for 30-40 minutes until the pudding has risen a bit and the eggnog custard is set.
- Serve warm with additional cream.
Egg nogs are sold and readily available during Christmas holidays, is it okay to use in the recipe instead of the half and half and there is no need to use the spice blend as it’s already in the egg nog?
Hi Frances, yes you can use ready made eggnog and skip the spices. Sadly it’s not available in the UK!
Also one more thing! Where did you buy your baking dish. Its unique and beautiful!
Lauren
The baking dish was a present, I am not really sure where it’s from. 🙂
Looks delicious! 2 questions
1. Do you think it’ll be fine if I substituted the brioche with croissants? Not sure if the croissant will hold the cream/eggnog
2. Not sure if I’ll be able to find that mixed spice anywhere 🙁 Do you think I can do without it?
Thank you!
Hi Adrian, I wouldn’t use croissants, you want something spongy to soak up the custard and croissants have a very different texture. If you must substitute use French baguette. As far as mixed spice, I think it’s an English thing :-), you can use pumpkin spice mix (essentially the same blend of spices), I wouldn’t omit it because that’s what gives the custard that eggnog taste. Alternatively, you can use eggnog instead of cream. I have to make my own as it’s not available in England. Happy cooking!
I am slightly confused. Is the eggnog supposed to replace the cream? I keep seeing eggnog custard and am not sure what that is.
Thank you,
Lauren
Lauren, the cream custard that is poured over brioche is “eggnog custard”. There is no pre-made eggnog in this recipe but cream mixed with egg yolks and spices is how real eggnog is made. I hope it clarifies things. 🙂
This is definitely my kind of breakfast’
Oh I am so with ya! 🙂
Yum, how delicious! Eggnog in a pudding – what an amazing Christmas dessert!
We are huge eggnog lovers as a family so this dessert only seemed inevitable. 🙂
Eggnog White Chocolate Brioche Pudding? Sounds like my cup of tea!
Looks fabulous and delicious 😀
Thank you. 🙂 I can’t wait for another special morning to indulge again.