Strawberry-Raspberry Bread Budding
Makes about 8 servings
Ingredients:
- 3 cups heavy cream
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1 ½ cups superfine sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla
- 16 large egg yolks
Crème Anglaise
- Preheat to 300 F. (150 C.) Lightly butter the insides of eight 3-inch diameter by 1 ½ -inches tall metal entremet rings. Line a half-sheet pan with parchment paper. Place the rings on a pan. Cut 8 slices of bread, 1/3-inch thick, from the loaf. Using a ring like a cookie cutter, cut out 8 rounds of bread, slicing more bread as needed. Cut the remaining bread into 1/3-inch cubes. You should have 7 cups of bread cubes.
- Spread the cubes and rounds on two half-sheet pans. Bake, stirring the cubes occasionally, until lightly toasted, about 10 minutes. Transfer the cubes to a large bowl. Set the rounds aside. Reduce the oven temperature to 250 F. (121 C.)
- Combine the heavy cream, milk, sugar, and vanilla in a heavy-bottomed, large saucepan. Squeeze the seeds from the vanilla bean into the saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring often with a spatula until small bubbles form around the edge of the mixture. Remove from the heat. Place a medium-mesh wire sieve over a medium bowl near the stove.
- Whisk the egg yolks in a large bowl. Gradually whisk in about half of the milk mixture. Pour this mixture back into the saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a spatula until the crème anglaise is thick enough to coat the spoon (an instant-read thermometer will read 180 F. (82 C.). (If you run your finger across the crème anglaise on the spatula, it will cut a swath.) Immediately strain the custard through the sieve. Measure 1-1/3 cups of the crème anglaise; cool, cover, and refrigerate to use as the sauce for the puddings.
- Pour about two-thirds of the remaining crème anglaise over the bread cubes and stir gently. Let stand until the bread has soaked up the custard, about 20 minutes. Fit a bread round into the bottom of each entremet ring; it should make a tight fit. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the crème anglaise into each ring to cover the round. Let stand until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Using a 2-inch ice-cream scoop, carefully fill each entremet ring halfway with the bread cube mixture, taking care that there are no air pockets. Place 1 rounded spoonful of Sarabeth's spreadable fruit in the center of each pudding. Fill with the remaining bread cube mixture. Poke your fingers into each pudding to level them. Carefully pour enough of the remaining crème anglaise to cover the cubes.
- Carefully transfer the half-sheet pan of puddings to the oven. Bake at 250 F. (122 C.) After 15 minutes reduce the temperature to 200 F. (108 C.) Continue baking until the puddings bounce back when lightly pressed in the centers, about 50 minutes. Let cool until tepid, about 30 minutes. Slip off the rings.
- For each serving, place a pudding on a dessert plate. Spoon about 2 ½ tablespoons of the reserved crème anglaise around the pudding.