Return to Main Recipes Page/Return to Home Page

Pudding, Challah w/Carrot Creme Anglaise (D, TNT)
Source: "Upper Crusts: Fabulous Ways to Use Bread," by Sheilah Kaufman
Serves: 8 to 10

Challah Pudding:
1 tsp. butter, room temperature
5 cups heavy cream
5 large egg yolks
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 tbsp. (1 ounce) almond paste or 1/2 tsp. almond extract
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 loaf (1 lb.) stale challah cut into 1" cubes
1/3 cup dried cranberries

Carrot Creme Anglaise:
3 cups fresh carrot juice
2 cups heavy cream
1 tsp. ground cardamom
1 tsp. vanilla
9 large egg yolks
1-3/4 cups sugar

Make Pudding:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread the butter all over the bottom and sides of a 9"x13"x2" baking pan.

Whisk together the cream and egg yolk, then whisk in the sugar, almond paste, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Whisk until sugar and almond paste dissolve.

Place the bread cubes all over the prepared baking pan. Sprinkle the cranberries evenly on top.

Pour the cream mixture over the bread, making sure each cube is moistened. Soak at room temperature for about 10 minutes.

Set the pan in a larger pan in the oven and pour in enough hot water into the larger pan to come halfway up the sides of the bread pan.

Bake until a knife inserted in the center comes out almost clean (about 50 to 60 minutes). The center should jiggle just a little.

Make Sauce and Assembly:
Bring carrot juice to a boil in a 2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce until only 1/3 cup is left, about 30 minutes. The mixture will smell like it's starting to caramelize and will create a lot of foam. Cool to room temperature.

Bring cream, cardamom, and vanilla just to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Sauce should be reduced by 1/3 and foam removed from the top.

Remove from heat and cool.

Whisk egg yolks with sugar and reduced carrot juice until smooth. Slowly drizzle a little of the hot cream mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly to prevent the eggs from cooking.

Stir the warmed eggs back into the remaining hot cream mixture. Place the saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the sauce is thickened, about 20 minutes. If you run your finger across the back of the spoon, the path your finger creates should stay clean. If the sauce runs through the path, it is not thick enough and needs to cook a little longer. Do not allow sauce to boil. Sauce should be reduced by 1/3 and foam discarded from the top.

Remove from heat and cool. Strain sauce into a bowl then set that bowl in a larger bowl of ice water to chill, stirring occasionally while cooling.

Cool slightly and serve over pudding.

Poster's Notes:
Sauce may be made 1 day in advance. Refrigerate in a covered container. Sauce is a great accompaniment to a warm rice pudding or even a slice of yellow pound cake, but it's best over the Challah Pudding.

The drier the bread, the better this dish. The results are a crispy top, a tender inside, and a pudding that tastes good warm or chilled. My family and friends love this cold.

Posted by Sheilah Kaufman

Nutritional Info Per Serving:N/A