Summer Fruit Bread Pudding

Ok, maybe not the best photo in the world, but it gives you an idea of how big this recipe is. Great for a summertime party!

There's a small (very small) farmers' market very close to work (across the street!) and I'm fortunate to be able to get luscious peaches for much of the summer, and sour cherries in their very short season. Sometimes I get a bit carried away and buy cherries and peaches and nectarines and other stuff that we simply can't eat fast enough. After all, there's only two of us. And once in a while, those extra peaches get squishy and the cherries threaten to get moldy, so I have to do something with them, and quick.

Bread pudding is a good solution to the problem. We always have bread and eggs, and there's usually a can of sweetened condensed milk in the cupboard. Mix it all up, add fruit, bake (I know - it's hot, sorry) and eat with some vanilla ice cream or custard or heavy cream poured on top, or as is. Bread pudding makes a great breakfast, snack, or dessert. If you can't eat it fast enough, you can cut it into serving pieces, wrap well in foil, and put them in a plastic bag in the freezer.

Summer Fruit Bread Pudding

4 eggs
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 cups milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Pinch salt
About 1/2 pound stale white bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 5 cups)
2 peaches, peeled and cut into about 1" pieces
1 cup sour cherries, pitted and halved
1 teaspoon softened butter

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Beat the eggs, milks, vanilla, and seasonings together in a large bowl. Add the bread and toss to combine. Allow the mixture to sit at room temperature for half an hour or so, so the bread can soak up the milk.

Butter a 9 x 13 baking dish (or a bundt pan) and pour the bread pudding mixture in. Cover with aluminum foil.

Bake for 45 minutes and uncover. Continue baking until the pudding rises and is firm in the center and golden brown, 20 to 30 minutes.

Let cool slightly before serving.



Posted on Minxeats.com.