Eggnog Bread Pudding with Bourbon Glaze

Created by Jon Payne

2 loaf sour dough, cut in half (enough for about 5 cups, diced)

3 whole eggs

3 egg yolks

3/4 cups sugar

2 cups half-and-half

1/4 cup Jim Beam bourbon

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Vegetable cooking spray

GLAZE:

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

1/4 cup Jim Beam plus a little extra if too dry

A pinch of fresh nutmeg

 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

Preheat oven to 475 degrees F.

Place a tea-kettle of water on to boil for a water bath. With a serrated knife, remove the side crusts from the half piece of the sour dough. Cut into 3/4 to 1-inch dice. You should have 5 cups. Reserve the cubed sour dough in a large mixing bowl.

For the eggnog custard, in another bowl thoroughly whisk together the eggs, yolks, sugar, half and half, bourbon, vanilla extract, and a healthy grating of fresh nutmeg. Pour this over the bread cubes.

Spray a 12 hole muffin tin with vegetable cooking spray. Ladle the bread/eggnog mixture gently and evenly into the muffin tins. The big cubes sticking up look nice. Place the filled muffin tin in a tall sided cookie sheet or roasting pan. Transfer to the preheated oven and carefully pour the hot water from kettle onto sheet pan, creating a water bath for the muffin tin to sit in.

Bake 15 to 20 minutes until the tops are nicely browned, and a toothpick comes clean from the center.

Glaze:

Whisk together the confectioner’s sugar, Jim beam, nutmeg and vanilla.  If it is too thick add a little more Jim Beam to get the consistency you want.  It should be a little on the thick side.