A Delicious Lesson in Frugal Living

When I was growing up, my mom used to save up all the old crusts of bread from the previous week. I can still remember the place in the cupboard for the old bread. 

On Fridays (which was also Cuban Cleaning Day, which is definitely a story for another day), she would always bake a delicious dessert. We kids never made the connection, being distracted with the business of school and play, that the delicious dessert was a result of the bread leftovers.

Furthermore, it was a money-saving measure. Feeding a family a family of 8 must have been tough.

There are many things I took for granted in my childhood that now make so much more sense. For example, my mom did the grocery shopping on Saturday mornings. So Friday night dinner was inevitably, fried eggs over white rice. (If you're Cuban, you understand the awesomeness of this.) It was because we had basically run out of food. Who knew?

Last week in a fit of enthusiasm, I picked up, not one, but two loaves of wonderfully fresh sourdough bread from a local bakery. Seriously, is there anything better than fresh, hot sourdough with real butter? See what I mean? (Thank you for "getting" me.)

Of course, if you've ever had fresh sourdough bread, you also know that it doesn't keep for very long. We managed to get through the first loaf over dinner on Day One. 

But then, we were out on the 2nd day and before we knew it, it was Day Three and that sourdough loaf was, well, not exactly fresh anymore. (I would say any fresh bread shouldn't last too many days anyway, but that's not important right now.)

As I was cleaning out the bread box, I stared at that beautiful, and untouched (if slightly old) loaf of sourdough and just couldn't toss it. I suppose I could have made croutons, but I swear, it was just too beautiful. 

So I quickly consulted my Recipe Development Dream Team, which consists of Martha, Ina, Ree, and Rachael and together they helped me come up with the following recipe. Ree wanted me to add whiskey, and Rachael insisted cayenne pepper would add just the right kick. I ignored them both with pleasingly decadent results.

I decided that Frugality is the new Decadence. (Gracias, Mami!)

Sourdough Bread Pudding with Salted Honey Sauce

INGREDIENTS

• 2 eggs
• 2 cups milk, at room temperature
• 2 Tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 Tablespoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 4 cups sourdough bread, cubed
• 1/3 cup chopped pecans

DIRECTIONS

1) Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

2) Using an electric mixer, beat the eggs, then add the milk, melted butter and vanilla.

3) Gradually add the sugar and mix until dissolved.

4) Place the bread cubes in a 9 inch round baking dish and pour the egg mixture on top.

5) Sprinkle the pecans on top and slightly press them into the bread. Bake until set, about 50 minutes. (Check and give it a little more time if you need to. The pudding will set a bit more once you take it out and let it rest.)

Salted Honey Sauce

• 1 stick (4 ounces) melted butter
• 3/4 cup honey (I went with the thicker spun honey for more flavor)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Dash of sea salt
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

1) A few minutes before the pudding is done, in a medium saucepan, heat the stick of melted butter with the honey, cinnamon, and salt over medium heat, whisking to combine.

2) Whisk in the cream. Drizzle half of the warm honey sauce over the bread pudding and serve the rest alongside. 

Pat yourself on the back for being so delicously retro and money-wise.

Bread Pudding Recipe - Pudín de Pan

My 97-year-old uncle, Fernando, lives in Miami.

My 94-year-old mother, who lives here in California, visits her big brother (!!) at least once a year. Tio Fernando loves bread pudding and so, my mom, being the devoted little sister that she is, insists on bringing him the bread pudding he loves so much. She will usually make a big, heavy one for him, which she then proceeds to haul across the country.

She packs it in her suitcase.

I know what you’re thinking, but trust me, there’s no arguing with her on this point. She makes Tio Fernando’s Bread Pudding (or T.F.B.P.) and the way she makes it is kind of dry, so it wraps up nicely for the cross-country flight.

Once my mom and the T.F.B.P. arrive in Miami, she and my uncle make a syrupy sauce to pour over the dry pudding. They both absolutely delight in this ritual. He feels loved and appreciated because she made the pudding and she feels loved and appreciated because he is so appreciative, ad infinitum. Everyone’s happy, including the FAA who’s representatives were relieved to discover that the carefully wrapped package in her luggage was not radioactive, but that’s not important right now.

I think it’s cute that my mom goes to all that trouble for her big brother, but honestly, I don’t love her bread pudding because it is a little too dry for me and I am a bit lazy about making the syrup. (Don’t judge me.)

So I came up with my own recipe for bread pudding, which is super gooey and messy and not-at-all-dry-so-you-don’t-need-syrup, and I even found a way to add guava to it. I know! Shut up.

I think you’re going to love it.

But, a word of warning: Don’t make plans to travel with it in your luggage. My bread pudding is NOT like my Tio Fernando’s and would definitely be classified as a U.F.O. (Unidentified Food Object.)

NMTF Bread Pudding

Not-My-Tio-Fernando’s Bread Pudding Recipe

• 3 cups sugar
• a squeeze of fresh lemon
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1 pound day-old Cuban or French bread
• 4 cups milk
• 4 egg YOLKS
• 1 TBSP Vanilla extract
• 1 stick butter – melted
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. Salt
• 1/4 cup dry sherry (vino seco)
• 1 cup golden raisins (they have a milder taste.)
• Guava paste – about a dozen or so sliced squares, to dot the top of the pudding.
• Confectioner’s sugar (for garnishing)

Prepare the baking dish:

1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2) Pour 2 cups of sugar (plus a little bit of water and squeeze of fresh lemon), into a saucepan over medium heat.

3) Stir occasionally until sugar caramelizes - about 6 or 7 minutes.

4) Remove from heat and quickly pour caramel into ungreased baking dish.

NMTF Bread Pudding 4

5) Set aside.

For the pudding:

1) Place bread pieces into a food processor and grind into medium size breadcrumbs – it’s okay to have some chunks in there, too, for a nice texture.

2) Put breadcrumbs into a large mixing bowl and pour milk over them – mix until all the bread is coated. Set aside and let them soak.

NMTF Bread Pudding 1

3) In another bowl, mix together the remaining sugars (1 cup white sugar and 1/2 cup light brown sugar), the egg yolks, vanilla, melted butter, cinnamon, salt, wine, and raisins.

4) Add this to the soaked breadcrumb mixture.

NMTF Bread Pudding 2

5) Pour into the caramelized dish.

6) Dot the top with guava paste pieces.

NMTF Bread Pudding 3

7) Bake for about an hour and ten minutes until pudding is set, or until knife inserted in the pudding comes out clean.

8) Remove from oven and allow pudding to cool down to room temperature.

9) Dust with confectioner’s sugar and slice into serving pieces.

NMTF Bread Pudding 5

10) Serve hot or cold. No syrup necessary.

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