Eggnog Bread Pudding Bites With Maple-Blueberry Sauce
serves 6-8
This recipe combines the flavor of eggnog with the comfort of bread pudding -- hors d'oeuvre size.
Read more about this recipe at the Washington Post.
For the bread pudding bites:
2 eggs
1 pinch salt
2 cups eggnog
1/2 loaf brioche or challah, crusts cut off, bread cut into 1-inch cubes
For the quick maple-blueberry sauce:
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons water
1/2 pint blueberries
prep: 25 minutes
total: 45 minutes
medium mixing bowl
whisk
shallow baking dish
nonstick griddle (optional)
wide nonstick pan
aluminum foil
toothpick (optional)
saute pan
blender (optional)
strainer
1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs until lightly beaten. Whisk in the salt and eggnog. Pour the mixture into a shallow baking dish. Place the bread cubes in the dish and toss to coat. Set aside to soak for a few minutes.
3. On a nonstick griddle or wide flat nonstick pan over medium heat, cook the soaked bread cubes, working in batches so that they remain at least 1 inch apart on the griddle. Turn them so that the tops and bottoms are lightly golden, as you might make French toast. As you work, the finished pudding bites should be kept warm under a layer of aluminum foil. They can be reheated briefly in the microwave.
4. For the sauce, in a sauté pan, bring the maple syrup and water to a boil. Add the blueberries and cook just until they start to burst, about 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat; set aside to cool for at least 10 minutes.
5. Pour the blueberry mixture into a blender and process or just use the back of a fork to mash it. Strain the sauce, if desired, to make it smooth.
6. If desired, spear each bread cube with a toothpick. Place the pudding bites on a warmed platter and serve with warm maple-blueberry sauce as a dipping sauce.
