Banana Bread Pudding with Banana Rum Sauce and Whipped Cream
Bread pudding is a wonderful way to use up day-old bread, and very popular in New Orleans. Chef Frank Brigtsen’s recipe is a wonderful cross between bread pudding and Bananas Foster, New Orleans’ famous flaming bananas and ice cream dessert.
Ingredients
- French bread - 6 cups bite-sized pieces, day-old, crust removed
- Eggs - 3, large
- Milk - 3 cups
- Sugar - 2/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon
- Banana - 2 large very ripe, peeled
- Cinnamon - 1 tablespoon, ground
- Nutmeg - 1/4 teaspoon, ground
- Pure Vanilla Extract - 3/4 teaspoon
- Seedless raisins - 1/2 cup
- Pecans - 1/2 cup, roasted and chopped
- Unsalted Butter - 3 tablespoons, cut into small pieces
- Heavy (whipping) cream - 3/4 cup
- Banana-Rum Sauce
- Unsalted Butter - 2/3 cup at room temperature
- Light Brown Sugar - 1/2 cup, packed
- Banana - 6 large ripe, peeled and quartered
- Cinnamon - 1 teaspoon, ground
- Nutmeg - 1/4 teaspoon, ground
- Dark Rum - 3 tablespoons
- Banana liqueur - 2 tablespoons (optional)
- Pure Vanilla Extract - 1/2 teaspoon
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 300 F. Put the French bread pieces into a 9-by-12-by-2-inch baking pan and set aside. In a blender or food processor, blend the eggs, milk, 2/3 cup of the sugar, bananas, cinnamon, nutmeg, and 1/2 teaspoon of the vanilla extract until smooth. Pour this mixture over the bread pieces. Fold in the raisins and pecans and let the mixture set for 20 minutes. Top with small pieces of the butter.
Cover the pudding with aluminum foil and place the pan into a large pan. Add warm water to a depth of 1 inch in the larger pan. Bake for 1 hour. Remove the foil and bake uncovered for 15 minutes, or until set.
In a deep, medium bowl, whisk the cream until it just begins to thicken. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla. Continue whisking until soft peaks form. Chill.
To make the sauce: Heat a large saute pan or skillet over low heat. Add the butter, sugar, bananas, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Moving the skillet back and forth, cook until the butter and sugar become creamy and the bananas begin to soften, about 1 minute. Remove the skillet from heat and add the rum and optional liqueur. Return the pan to the heat. Tilt the pan, avert your face, and light the liquid with a long kitchen match. Shake the skillet over the heat until the flames subside. Add the vanilla, remove from heat, and keep warm.
To serve: Place a large scoop of bread pudding in the middle of each serving plate or bowl. Place 2 slices of banana on each plate and top with about 3 tablespoons of sauce. Spoon or pipe the whipped cream over the bread pudding.
