White Chocolate Bread Pudding with Whiskey Sauce

Ingredients for 12 servings:

• 350 ml whipped cream, 1.5 cups
• 180 ml Irish whiskey, 0.75 cups
• 9 tbsp sugar
• ½ vanilla pod(s), cut lengthwise
• 2 tbsp water, cold
• ¾ tsp cornstarch
• 480 ml whole milk, do not use skim or fat-free milk, (2 cups
• 225 g sugar 1 cup
• 6 large eggs
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 230 g baguette(s), stale, cut into cubes of approx. 2 – 3 cm
• 85 g white chocolate, crushed

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Rest time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 1 hour; Total time approx. 2 hours

Bread pudding with white chocolate and whiskey sauce

Sauce: Combine the heavy cream, whiskey, and sugar in a small saucepan. Scrape the vanilla seeds from the pod and add both to the pan. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat. Stir the cornstarch into cold water until no lumps remain. Add to the sauce and simmer until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove the vanilla pod. Pour the sauce into a small container, let it cool, then cover and refrigerate for about 1 hour. Bread Pudding: Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius (400 degrees Fahrenheit). Mix the milk, sugar, eggs, egg yolks, and vanilla extract well in a large bowl. Add the bread and let it sit for about 20 minutes to allow the mixture to absorb. Stir in the chocolate pieces and transfer the mixture to a sufficiently large, heat-resistant glass baking dish. Place the baking dish in a larger, heat-resistant dish. Fill the dish with hot water to about 2 cm below the rim of the baking pan. Bake until the pudding has set, about 1 hour. Remove the baking pan from the water. Let the pudding cool slightly and serve warm with the chilled sauce.