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Bread Pudding: Apricot Bread Pudding

Source of Recipe

Alice Walters, Chez Panisse Cafe Cookbook


List of Ingredients

1 cup dried apricots, sliced or 8 fresh, cut into small wedges
1 1/4 cups sugar

PUDDING:
7 egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar
2 cups half and half or whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
grated zest of 1 orange
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1 tablespoon kirsch
4 ounces almond paste, cut pea-size pieces (opt.)
1 pound brioche, cut 1" cubes (5 c.)


Recipe

In a small saucepan, simmer apricots in 1 cup water and 1/4 cup of the sugar. Poach fruit until tender, about 12 minutes for dried, 5 for fresh. Drain fruit, saving liquid, and set fruit aside to cool. Return poaching liquid to the saucepan and add remaining 1 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water. Boil this mixture, and when it begins to brown, swirl the pan so that it caramelizes evenly. Cook to a medium amber color. Very carefully pour hot caramel into a 2-quart gratin dish or divide it evenly among 6 small ramekins. Cool.

Whisk egg yolks in large bowl. Slowly add 1/3 cup sugar and mix well. Whisk in half-and-half or milk and the cream. Add orange zest, salt, vanilla and almond extracts, nutmeg and kirsch. Gently fold in poached apricots, almond paste, if using, and bread cubes. Transfer pudding mixture to gratin dish or ramekins. Let rest at least 1 hour or refrigerate overnight. Preheat oven to 375ºF. Sprinkle a little sugar on pudding. Place gratin dish or ramekins on baking sheet to catch overflow. Bake until nicely browned, about 55 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.