Custard Bread Pudding

Custard bread pudding makes a delicious and sweet ending for a beautiful dinner party. It is surprisingly easy to make and it requires very few ingredients.

Bread puddings are very versatile and easy desserts that can be made even by the most inept cook. The addition of custard makes a luscious and creamy textured pudding. Children as well as adults enjoy this tasty dish.

Everybody loves dessert that contains chocolate. This recipe uses dark chocolate chips, and has a soft and sticky texture.

Ingredients

• Bread, 4 slices
• Demerara Sugar, ½ cup
• Eggs, 2
• Milk, 2 cups
• Dark Chocolate Chips, 1 cup
• Vanilla Extract, 1 tbsp.

Method
Arrange the bread slices in a platter and pour a little cold water over them. Squeeze out the water and keep it aside. In another bowl, separate the egg yolks, and add demerara sugar, milk, and vanilla extract. Melt the chocolate chips in a double boiler and add this into the above mixture.

In an oven proof dish, place the moistened bread and pour the above mixture over it. Place the dish in a pan containing water, and bake it in an oven at 572ºF for an hour. Keep the dish in the refrigerator and serve it in individual dessert bowls with whipped cream.

This is a variation of a simple egg pudding. The addition of bananas gives it a delicious flavor and very good consistency.

Ingredients

• Bananas, 4 (firm and sliced)
• Brown Sugar, 2 cups
• Butter, ½ cup (unsalted)
• Milk, 8.45 oz. (skimmed)
• Bread Crumbs, 2 cups
• Eggs, 4
• Vanilla Extract, 1 tbsp.
• Corn Flour, 2 tbsp.

Method
In a small saucepan, mix together the brown sugar, a pinch of salt, and corn flour. Slowly add milk to the pan. Now cook this mixture over medium heat, stirring it continuously with a ladle, so that it does not burn. In a medium-sized bowl, separate the egg yolks and keep them aside.

Add the mixture with the help of a ladle into the egg yolks. Stir it until the mixture blends well and return it back into the saucepan. Keep on stirring and remove it from heat when you have the desired consistency. Now, add the vanilla extract and butter, and let the mixture cool down.

In a greased shallow baking dish, arrange the bread crumbs and banana slices. Pour the custard mixture over them and bake it in an oven at 662ºF for 45 - 50 minutes.

This is a very scrumptious variation of a vanilla pudding. The addition of blueberries gives it a delicious tartness and flavor.

Ingredients

• Butter, ¼ cup (unsalted)
• Maple Syrup, 4 tbsp.
• Bread, 2 slices
• Blueberries, 1½ cups
• Milk, 2 cups
• Sugar, 1 cup (granulated)
• Egg Yolks, 4
• Vanilla Extract, 1 tbsp.

Method
In a small saucepan, mix together the sugar, maple syrup, and butter. Cook this mixture over medium heat, stirring continuously with a ladle, until the sugar is fully dissolved in butter. Remove the pan from the heat and pour this mixture into a greased baking dish. Scatter blueberries over it and arrange the bread slices over the berries.

In another bowl, combine the milk, egg yolks, and vanilla essence, until everything is well blended. Pour this mixture over the bread and bake it in an oven at 608ºF for 40 - 45 minutes. To serve, invert this pudding carefully onto a platter, and sprinkle some icing sugar.

You can also enhance the flavor and texture of the above recipes by adding nuts, pistachios, and different types of fruits.