While this bread pudding was inspired by a dessert printed in a magazine, we think of it as belonging to Therese thanks to her unique take on the recipe. The original called for a variety of berries, but Therese felt that exclusively using raspberries would be much tastier. She was right (of course). The dessert quickly went from family favorite to Steve’s Backroom classic, and since a limited number of servings were made available each week, advance reservations weren’t unheard of for a piece of raspberry bread pudding topped with piles of whipped cream.
A few notes before we begin: This recipe doesn’t require an oven, but it does need a bit of time to become the best it can be. The entire dish will need to sit overnight before being served to allow the flavors to marinate and meld together. Trust us…it’s worth the wait!
RASPBERRY BREAD PUDDING
Special Supplies
- Squeeze bottle
- Springform pan, 9” in diameter
- Extra room in your refrigerator!
Ingredients
- 3 12-oz bags of frozen unsweetened raspberries, thawed
- 3 large 1-lb loaves of crusty Italian bread (wider loaves will work best for this recipe; French bread may be used as a substitute)
- ½ lb unsalted butter, softened
- 1 ½ cups sugar, divided (½ cup will be used for sugaring the bread, and the remaining 1 cup will be used to build the layers of your bread pudding)
- 1 can of your favorite whipped cream
- Mint leaves and fresh raspberries for garnish
- Raspberry Sauce
Directions
Before you begin: Pour raspberries into a bowl and set aside to thaw before beginning. While berries are thawing, follow the directions for the accompanying Raspberry Sauce (recipe included below) and set aside.
Preparing the bread pudding: Pour a generous amount of sugar into a shallow casserole dish or pie plate and set aside. To prepare your springform pan, butter the bottom and sides of the pan thoroughly using your hands.
Prepare your loaves of bread by trimming off the crusts, cutting slowly so that the inside of the bread remains fluffy and does not tear. Each loaf should be cut into 12 slices that are approximately 7” long by 5” wide and ¾” thick.
Working one piece at a time, butter both sides of the bread liberally using a knife (or use your hands like Steve). Put buttered bread face down in the bowl of white sugar to coat on both sides, then adhere to the sides of your springform pan. Do not tear these pieces; they should extend past the rim of your pan. As Steve says, “You want the bread to sit up tall, tall enough that it can fold over.” Place additional buttered and sugared pieces of bread on the bottom of the pan, pressing down firmly with your hands. (Note: It’s okay to cut or tear pieces so that they will fit.)
Next, fill the pan three-quarters of the way with raspberries, pushing them down with your hands until tightly packed. Sprinkle sugar liberally over the top—about ½ cup. Cover the raspberry/sugar layer with an additional layer of bread pieces, buttering and sugaring each piece of bread on both sides before laying down. After you have laid down enough pieces to completely cover the raspberry/sugar layer, pack bread in with your hands to create an even surface.
Cover the second layer of bread with another layer of raspberries followed by ⅓ cup sugar. Use your hands to pack the mixture down. At this point, your raspberry layer should be even with or slightly higher than the rim of your pan.
Butter and sugar 1 piece of bread on both sides and place in the middle of the second raspberry/sugar layer. Fold the pieces of bread lining the perimeter of your pan in toward the middle (like the petals of a flower), tearing off the ends of pieces that are too long—these pieces should overlap very little with the piece of bread in the center of the pan. Using your fingers, seal connecting pieces of bread with butter as needed to create a nice even top.
Using a measuring cup, scoop up approximately ½ – ¾ cup of the unstrained raspberry/water mixture that has been boiling on the stove. Pour mixture over the top of the bread and continue to pack down. The mixture must be hot in order to melt the sugar as it soaks through each layer of bread.
Next, cover pan with a couple of layers of plastic food wrap, then put a plate or flat dish on top to create a flat, sturdy layer. Weigh down the plate with a heavy object—Therese used a bag of dried beans, and Lisa says that stacking two 5-lb bags of rice also works nicely. Put the weighted dish into the refrigerator and let sit overnight. Be sure to put paper towels underneath of the dish as raspberry juices may leak from the pan overnight.
After 24 hours, take bread pudding out of the refrigerator and remove weight and plastic wrap. Run a knife around the edges of the pan to loosen. Using a squirt bottle, squeeze Raspberry Sauce (strained of seeds, at room temperature) over the top and let it soak into the bread pudding.
Place a large plate or serving dish on top of the bread pudding pan. Flip both dishes over, holding securely together. Heat wet towels in the microwave for 1 ½ minutes, then place hot towels on top of the bread pudding pan to loosen lid. Remove pan. Squeeze additional Raspberry Sauce over the top of bread pudding, using hands to press into the pudding so that sauce soaks through. Use a knife to cut the bread pudding into individual portions and serve.
Here’s a look at the process from start to finish!
Plating recommendation: Use your squirt bottle to squeeze additional Raspberry Sauce over the top of each individual portion of bread pudding and onto serving plates as well, so that the piece of bread pudding is seated like an island in the middle of a Raspberry Sauce lake. Top with whipped cream and fresh berries. Mint leaves make a beautiful accent around the holidays!
Note: If you have a large family and you’re feeling economical, we recommend using the leftover crusts of bread to make bread crumbs, croutons, garlic bread, or sandwich halves.
RASPBERRY SAUCE
Ingredients
- 3 12-oz bags of frozen unsweetened raspberries
- 3 cups cold water
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 heaping tsp cornstarch
Directions
Pour frozen raspberries into a bowl and allow to thaw. Once thawed, transfer to a large stock pot and add 3 cups of cold water. Cover the stock pot with a lid and bring to a boil in order to soften berries—watch carefully. Remove from heat when water has been reduced by half, about 10-15 minutes.
After water has reduced, strain a few cups at a time in order to remove seeds and pulp. Transfer to a small saucepan and add 1 cup of sugar. Cook uncovered at medium-low heat on the stovetop, watching carefully until mixture comes to a simmer.
Meanwhile, put 1 heaping teaspoon of cornstarch into a small bowl and cover with water. Stir until dissolved. When raspberry mixture starts to simmer add the cornstarch, stirring continuously for 1 minute or until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and allow sauce to cool to room temperature to prevent over-thickening. The final consistency should be slightly thinner than maple syrup.
After syrup has cooled, fill a squeeze bottle and refrigerate. Excess syrup can be stored in a sealed plastic container.
Notes: If you have leftover sauce after assembling your Raspberry Bread Pudding, Lisa recommends using it to create a cocktail. Serve up a modified mojito, for example, by muddling fresh raspberries with rum in lieu of mint leaves. Follow your favorite mojito recipe to complete and add a dash of Raspberry Sauce before serving.