Pudding in the US has come to mean the Jell-o and Snack Pack varieties of dessert: smooth and made from milk. But, in the old days boiled or baked days puddings were favored by the English as their dessert of choice. The firmer ones, like Christmas pudding, could be boiled in a clean cloth. But, baked puddings came into their own after the industrial revolution meant more people had reliable ovens in their homes.
This amaretto bread pudding combines the potent almond liqueur with the comforting liquid-soaked bread for a melt-in-your mouth dessert that brings this staple sweet treat to the next level.
Like most bread pudding recipes you’ll want to start with a nice bread. Brioche or thick cut Texas toast are 2 good options. The thicker size means that once they absorb the liquid and are baked they don’t turn into as mushy of a finished pudding. Stale or toasted bread works best for bread pudding. Once you’ve torn your bread into smaller pieces soak in some half and half for 30 minutes.
Then work on the topping, which is made from butter, sugar, and eggs with some slivered almonds and almond extract stirred in as well. Pour this over the soaked bread and then bake.
While the pudding is getting it’s first turn in the oven you can work on the topping. This decadent sauce is made from butter, sugar, egg, and Amaretto liqueur. It’s very flavorful, which is why you only need a little to flavor it.