Recipe Swap : Apple/Pumpkin

Let's start this off by saying that I was a little worried by my recipe!  I got Apple Croissant Bread Pudding from Life and Kitchen...sounds super good, but WTF is it?!

Being new to this cooking thing and not much of a sweets person, I had not a clue what Bread Pudding was...not one.  It didn't sound like I was going to like it, let alone be able to pull it off when I read the one line in the blog post :


"Whoever said that bread pudding is difficult to make is crazy.  It was pretty easy!"

At that point, I definitely thought uh oh...this is going to fail!  But I was pleasantly surprised!  Not only did I LOVE it, I successfully made it and correctly!  The different textures and flavors really made the dish and I will definitely be making this again!  We halved the recipe since it is just the two of us and it worked out perfectly!

Thanks Life and Kitchen for creating this awesome dessert!


Apple Croissant Bread Pudding
adapted from : Life and Kitchen 

Ingredients

3 extra-large whole eggs
5 extra-large egg yolks
5 cups half-and-half
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
6 stale croissants (just cut them in half and let them sit out overnight)
2 apples, peeled and diced
1 cup raisins  (I omitted-I LOVE grapes but cannot do raisins!)
A dash of cinnamon and nutmeg
Caramel sauce for topping


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the whole eggs, egg yolks, half-and-half, sugar, and vanilla. Set the mixture aside. Separate the tops and bottoms of the croissants and rip them up into bite-sized pieces.  In a 10 by 15 by 2 1/2-inch oval baking dish, distribute the bottoms of the sliced croissants, then add the apples and raisins and sprinkle with the cinnamon and nutmeg.  Then cover with the tops of the croissants (brown side up), being sure the raisins are between the layers of croissants or they will burn while baking. Pour the custard over the croissants and allow to soak for 10 minutes, pressing down gently.
Place the pan in a larger one filled with 1-inch of hot water. Cover with aluminum foil, tenting the foil so it doesn’t touch the pudding. Cut a few holes in the foil to allow steam to escape. Bake for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake for 40 to 45 more minutes or until the pudding puffs up and the custard is set. Remove from the oven and cool slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature with caramel drizzled on top