We’ve done an annual St Paddy’s dinner since our kids were little. I have Irish ancestry (as well as Scottish, Welsh & English) and always found it a fun way to teach our kids about that ancestry. Once our kids got older, we decided to invite friends over and to share our annual St Patrick’s dinner with others. When we first started inviting others to join the fun I was in a quandary about what to serve for dessert. I poured over my Irish and English cookbooks and wasn’t finding what I wanted. A friend suggested I make bread pudding. I thought that idea absolutely perfect and have been serving it as our annual dessert since. If you make a St Patrick's dinner, what do you serve for dessert?
Look for my Tablescape next Thursday as well some more of the recipes I’ll be preparing.
This year we will host a crowd of 14 so I’ll double this recipe.
Old-Fashioned Bread Pudding
4 cups cubed bread
½ c raisins
2 c milk
¼ c butter
½ c sugar
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 Tbsp vanilla
½ tsp ground nutmeg
Vanilla Sauce:
½ c butter
½ c brown sugar
½ c whipping cream
1 Tbsp vanilla
Heat oven to 350°F. Combine bread and raisins in large bowl. Combine milk and 1/4 cup butter in 1-quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat until butter is melted (4 to 7 minutes). Pour milk mixture over bread; let stand 10 minutes.
Stir in all remaining pudding ingredients. Pour into greased 1 1/2-quart casserole. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until set in center.
Combine all sauce ingredients except vanilla in 1-quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture thickens and comes to a full boil (5 to 8 minutes). Stir in vanilla.
To serve, spoon warm pudding into individual dessert dishes; serve with sauce. Store refrigerated.
I am editing to include this post in Michael Lee's Foodie Friday...be sure to visit and browse all the inspiring posts there!
