FEATURED RECIPES

Caramel Bread Pudding

Chef Johnny Iuzzini

Individual Caramel Apple and Sweet Potato Bread Pudding

by Celebrity Pastry Chef Johnny Iuzzini.  Serves 8.

“Most of my career in the kitchen has been spent creating individual portions for restaurant menus.  While some recipes can be expanded for a large dessert, I like this one best as an individual dessert, because it has a greater visual impact. As a kid in upstate New York, a favorite pastime was apple picking—we didn’t have a lot of sweets in the house, so Mom made apple chips, applesauce, and sometimes pies. Pairing a good ripe, crisp apple with sweet potatoes and a maple-flavored, custardy bread pudding creates flavors that feel like home.” – Pastry Chef Johnny Iuzzini

INGREDIENTS FOR CARAMEL

For the Caramel

  • Vegetable oil cooking spray
  • ¾ cup Sugar (150 g)
  • ½ tsp. Kosher salt (2 g)
  • 3 tbsp. Water (45 g)
  • 1 tbsp. Honey (20 g)
  • 3 tbsp. Unsalted butter, diced (42 g)

INGREDIENTS FOR PUDDING

  • 1 ea. Medium sweet potato (about 12 ounces), peeled (340 g)
  • 1 ea. Large Granny Smith apple, peeled and cored
  • 2 tbsp. Sugar (24 g)
  • 1 tbsp. Unsalted butter (14 g)
  • 2 cups Half-and-half (480 g)
  • 2 ea. Large eggs
  • 2 ea. Large egg yolks
  • ¼ cup Pure maple syrup (72 g)
  • 1 tsp. Vanilla extract (5 g)
  • ½ tsp. Kosher salt (2 g)
  • 4 oz. day-old Brioche or egg bread, cut into ½-inch cubes & lightly toasted (about 10 cups) (113 g)

DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Spray eight 4-ounce ramekins with cooking spray and put them in a large baking dish.
  2. To make the caramel, put the sugar, salt, and water in a small saucepan and make a wet caramel as for Spreadable Caramel, cooking the mixture until the sugar is a deep golden brown. Remove from the heat and add the honey and butter, stirring until well combined. Set aside to cool until warm but still pourable. Divide the warm caramel evenly among the ramekins (about 1 tablespoon in each), swirling each ramekin to completely coat the bottom of each.
  3. To make the pudding, cut the sweet potato and apple into ½-inch cubes, keeping them separate. In a medium skillet, cook the sugar over medium heat, swirling the pan but not stirring, until it dissolves and turns golden brown. Add the butter and stir to combine and dissolve any sugar crystals. Add the sweet potato cubes and cook, stirring gently, for about 6 minutes, until just tender when pierced with a knife but still holding their shape. Add the apples, stir gently, and continue cooking for 4 minutes, until the apples soften slightly. Remove from the heat and let stand until cool. Put an even, single layer of potatoes and apples into each ramekin, covering the bottom. Reserve the remaining potatoes and apples.
  4. Meanwhile, in another saucepan, heat the half-and-half over medium heat until hot and the edges are just beginning to bubble. Whisk the eggs, egg yolks, syrup, vanilla, and salt together in a mixing bowl.
  5. While whisking, pour about a third of the hot half-and-half mixture into the eggs and whisk well until very smooth and combined. Whisk in the remaining hot half-and-half mixture until combined. Let the custard stand until room temperature.
  6. Put the brioche cubes and the reserved potatoes and apples into a mixing bowl and pour the custard over them. Toss lightly and let them stand for a few minutes to absorb the custard. Using a large spoon, pour enough custard into the bottom of each ramekin to cover the sweet potato and apple cubes. Divide the soaked bread cubes among the ramekins and evenly pour any custard left in the bowl over each.
  7. Fill the baking dish with hot water until it comes halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Transfer the dish to the oven and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the custard is set and the top feels firm to the touch.
  8. Remove the pan from the oven and let the bread puddings cool completely in the water bath. Remove the puddings from the water bath and serve or refrigerate for up to 2 days before serving.
  9. To serve, preheat the oven to 300°F.  Run a knife around the outer edges of the ramekins to loosen the puddings. Set the ramekins on a baking sheet and warm them in the oven for 10 minutes to loosen the caramel. Invert the bread puddings onto serving plates and serve warm.

Reprinted from SUGAR RUSH. Copyright © 2014 by Johnny Iuzzini. Photographs copyright © 2014 by Johnny Iuzzini and Michael Spain-Smith. Published by Clarkson Potter, a division of Random House LLC.
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