Bread Pudding Substitutes

You are looking at Caramel Bread Pudding in this picture. But I’ll also offer you a lower-fat version of the recipe. You must refer to the previous post on bread pudding for the whole recipe.

How the caramel is made:
One sugar cup
34 cup of water
White vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon

a further 1/4 cup of water

In a stainless steel pot, combine the sugar, vinegar, and 1/3 cup water. If you use a dark or nonstick pot, you won’t be able to tell when the caramel is the appropriate shade. Stirring continuously, boil the mixture over medium to medium-low heat until the sugar melts. A brush dipped in water should be used to remove any sugar crystals from the pot’s edges. To bring the mixture to a boil, raise the heating to medium-high.

(You don’t need to use a pot this big, but it’s the only one I have that’s stainless steel.)
DO NOT STIR THE MIXTURE ONCE IT BEGINS TO BOIL! Cook the mixture until it turns golden brown, regularly swirling the pot to ensure that no area cooks before another.

Pour the final 1/4 cup of water into the pan while tilting it away from you to prevent burns. It will violently steam and boil up. Stir the caramel for a smooth texture.

Fill the baking pan with the mixture ( I prefer not to use glass, because I am always wary about pouring such hot liquid into glass, even if it is Pyrex).

Allow the caramel to momentarily cool before placing it in the freezer or refrigerator to harden (15 mnutes if frozen and up to 1 hour if refrigerated).

Use the lowfat instructions below or prepare the bread pudding as described in the previous post. The pudding can be eaten an hour after it is cooked, but the caramel will be sticky and the pudding will be soft. Alternatively, it can be chilled for at least six hours. The pudding will be stiffer and the caramel will be somewhat sticky after that time (as in the photo above) You’ll have gooey caramel, melting caramel sauce, and my favorite—a solid pudding—after two days in the refrigerator. You may either serve it warm or cold.

Low-fat custard sauce with lower-fat bread pudding
Challah, eggy white bread, or low-fat Italian bread (I used Arnold’s) in the amount of 9 ounces
30 grams of raisins
Three big eggs
2 substantial egg whites
50 g of sugar
Vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon
1 cinnamon stick
2-1/4 cups two percent milk (using skim or 1 percent results in a very soft-set pudding)

Follow the instructions in the article on Raisin Bread Pudding Lowfat Custard Sauce to prepare the pudding.
2 substantial eggs, room temperature
1/4 cup of sugar in powder
Cornstarch, 1 teaspoon

2 cups milk with 1% less fat
1/4 cup of sugar, granulated
Vanilla bean, cut in half lengthwise, one big bean.
1 tablespoon optional rum or other liquor

Combine the eggs, cornstarch, and powdered sugar in a medium bowl.
In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, granulated sugar, vanilla bean, and rum. Simmer the mixture for a little while.
As the eggs warm up, add more and more of the hot milk mixture, whisking it in gradually.

Refill the pot with the mixture. Stirring continuously, heat on medium until the mixture simmers. Simmer for one minute on a lower heat setting. Fill the container with the mixture. Discard the vanilla pod after scraping the seeds into the custard. Allow it to cool for a little while before covering and storing in the fridge for up to a week.