Grandma’s Old-Fashioned Bread Pudding with Vanilla Sauce

Grandma’s Old-Fashioned Bread Pudding with Vanilla Sauce is a classic and comforting dessert that’s perfect for using up stale bread and making a delicious treat. Here’s a basic recipe for you to try:

Ingredients:

For the Bread Pudding:

• 4 cups of stale bread, torn or cut into small pieces (such as French bread or baguette)
• 4 cups of milk
• 1/2 cup of granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
• 1/4 cup of raisins or currants (optional)
• 2 tablespoons of butter, softened

For the Vanilla Sauce:

• 1/2 cup of unsalted butter
• 1 cup of granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup of heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Instructions:

For the Bread Pudding:

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the torn or cut bread pieces and milk. Let the mixture sit for about 10 minutes, allowing the bread to absorb the milk.
3. In another bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and nutmeg together until well combined.
4. Gently fold the egg mixture into the soaked bread mixture. If desired, add the raisins or currants at this point.
5. Grease a baking dish with the softened butter and transfer the bread pudding mixture into the dish.
6. Bake in the preheated oven for 45-55 minutes or until the pudding is set and the top is golden brown.

For the Vanilla Sauce:

1. In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.
2. Stir in the granulated sugar and heavy cream. Cook, stirring constantly, until the sugar has dissolved, and the mixture has thickened slightly, which should take about 5-7 minutes.
3. Remove the saucepan from the heat, and stir in the vanilla extract.