Queen's Bread Pudding with Cold Fruit Soup

When I was given this recipe to prepare, I had no idea what I was going to be making.  I knew it was for dessert and I knew that I loved bread pudding and fruit soup sounded adventurous, so it had to be good.  My assumption was correct, this was very tasty.

I have to admit that I wrinkled my forehead when I saw that it was made from leftover donuts. Who has leftover donuts?  Not me.  If we had any in the house, they certainly wouldn't last long enough to be called leftover!  It looked like a trip to the bakery.

I did learn that you do not go to the bakery in the afternoon and expect to find enough of any one thing.  I was also skeptical, I mean who uses leftover Danish or donuts to make bread pudding?  I couldn't imagine using jelly donuts or maple bars so I opted for four cake donuts and did I mention that there is nothing left at the bakery in the afternoon....so, I had to add four old-fashion donuts and two butterhorns to even it out....a little glaze couldn't hurt.

There are a lot of things going on when making this pudding.  I would suggest that everything be prepped to make things go smoothly....and of course, read everything before doing anything!

Queen's Bread Pudding with Cold Fruit Soup

adapted from Robert Irvine

Yield:  6 servings

Bread Pudding
1 Tbsp butter
4 cups donuts, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3 cups whole milk
1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped
1/2 cup craisins, chopped
1/2 cup Amaretto
3 eggs
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

Soup
1 cup fresh strawberries, cleaned and hulled
1/2 cup fresh raspberries
1/2 cup fresh blackberries
1 banana, peeled, cut into quarters
1 peach, peeled, pit removed, cut into quarters
1 lemon, juiced
1 pint frozen vanilla yogurt

Garnish
Mint sprigs

Grease a 2 quart baking dish with butter.  (Be sure to select a baking dish that can fit into another pan as this will bake in a water bath.)  Spread the cubed donuts evenly in the prepared dish.

In a small saucepan, heat the milk until scalding.

In a small saucepan, heat the apricots and craisins in the Amaretto and allow to simmer for about 5 minutes.  You are waiting for the fruit to soften.

In a small bowl, whisk the eggs, sugar, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  Add the hot milk, a little at a time, to the egg mixture and whisk together to temper the mixture by combining gently and gradually without cooking the eggs!

Spread the fruit evenly over the donuts in the baking dish.  Pour the milk and egg mixture into the baking dish.

Preheat the oven to 350° F.

Allow the baking dish to stand for about 20 minutes so that the bread absorbs the liquid.

Place the baking dish into a larger pan or baking dish and place in the oven.  Pour hot water into the outer dish until the level is midway up the smaller pan.  Be careful not to splash water into the pudding!

Bake 50 minutes to an hour, until the pudding is firm and puffs up.  It is done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Remove from the oven and the water bath.  Let the pudding rest for ten minutes.  Serve warm or cold.

Fruit Soup

While the pudding is baking, prepare the fruit soup.  Place the strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, peeled banana pieces, peach quarters and lemon juice into a blender.  Blend until smooth and strain into a bowl.  Return the strained fruit to the blender and add the softened frozen yogurt, blend to combine.  Serve the soup as a topping or along side in demitasse cups.

Printable Recipe

I am sharing at Full Plate Thursday at Miz Helen's Country Cottage and Foodie Friday hosted by Michael at Rattlebridge Farm.