Blueberry Bread Pudding with Whiskey Sauce

This recipe is inspired by a delicious bread pudding we once had at Pictou Lodge Resort, when we were in search of Nova Scotia’s finest fare for a Canadian Living magazine story. The Whiskey Sauce brings back memories of Cape Breton’s Glenora Inn and Distillery in the Mabou Highlands. It was Canada’s first single-malt whiskey distillery, where Donnie Campbell, the inn’s whiskey ambassador, coached us on the fine technique of nosing whiskey.

Ingredients
  

  • 6 large eggs
  • 2 cups (500 mL) 18% cream
  • 1 cup (250 mL) granulated sugar divided
  • 1 cup (250 mL) whipping cream
  • 1 cup (250 mL) milk
  • 1 tbsp (15 mL) maple extract
  • 1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla extract
  • 12 cups (3L) white sandwich bread cubed, about 1¼ loaves, crusts trimmed off
  • 2 cups (500 mL) fresh blueberries
  • ½ cup (125 mL) finely chopped pecans

Whiskey Sauce

  • 1 large egg
  • ½ cup (125 mL) granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp (5 mL) cornstarch
  • 1/3 cup (75 mL) unsalted butter, melted
  • ¼ cup (60 mL) whiskey

Instructions
 

  • In a large bowl whisk the eggs. Whisk in the 18% cream, all but 2 tbsp (30 mL) of the sugar, the whipping cream, milk, maple extract and vanilla. Stir in the bread and blueberries; stir gently but thoroughly to moisten evenly.
  • Scrape into a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch (3.5 L) glass baking dish. (Make-ahead: Cover and refrigerate for up to 8 hours; add 10 minutes to the baking time.)
  • Toss the pecans with the remaining sugar; sprinkle over the surface. Bake in the centre of a 375° F (190° C) oven until puffed and golden brown and the tip of a knife inserted into the centre comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Let cool on a rack for 15 minutes to serve hot for up to 1 hour to serve warm. Serve with Whiskey Sauce.

Whiskey Sauce:

  • In a heatproof bowl, whisk together the egg, sugar and cornstarch until smooth; whisk in the butter. Set over a saucepan of simmering water; cook, whisking, until thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat; whisk in the whiskey. (Make-ahead: Cool, cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Reheat in a heatproof bowl over hot but not boiling water.)

Notes

SOURCE: Canada’s Favourite Recipes by Elizabeth Baird and Rose Murray. BGO thanks the authors for allowing us permission to share this recipe.
Photo: Marcella DiLonardo
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