Spiced Brandied Fruit Bread Pudding

Often linked to thrifty home kitchens, bread pudding transforms leftover loaves into a creamy dessert. Here, brandy-soaked dried fruit and warm spices bake into rich custard with soft brioche.

Serves 6 · 25 min prep · 50 min cook

Estimate for one serving

• 445 cal
• 11g protein
• 58g carbs
• 17g fat
• 3g fiber

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Ingredients

• 10 cups cubed day-old brioche or challah
• 1 1/2 cups mixed dried fruit (cherries, raisins, apricots, cranberries)
• 3/4 cup brandy
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground allspice
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 Tbsp turbinado sugar for topping

Instructions

1. 1Place the mixed dried fruit in a bowl and pour the brandy over it. Stir, cover, and let soak at room temperature for at least 30 minutes (or up to overnight) until the fruit is plump and the brandy is fragrant and slightly syrupy.
2. 2Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9x9-inch or similar 2-quart baking dish. Spread the bread cubes evenly in the dish.
3. 3In a large bowl whisk together the milk, cream, eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and salt until smooth and fully combined.
4. 4Drain the brandied fruit, reserving the soaking liquid. Scatter the plumped fruit evenly over the bread cubes in the baking dish, tucking some pieces down between the cubes.
5. 5Whisk the reserved brandy syrup into the custard mixture. Slowly pour the custard over the bread and fruit, pressing the bread down gently with a spatula so every cube soaks up liquid. Let stand 15 minutes so the bread fully absorbs the custard.
6. 6Dot the top with small pieces of butter and sprinkle evenly with turbinado sugar for a crunchy finish.
7. 7Bake on the middle rack for 40-50 minutes until the pudding is puffed, golden brown on top, and set in the center (a knife inserted near the middle should come out mostly clean with just a little moist custard). The edges should be caramelized and slightly crisp.
8. 8Remove from the oven and let the bread pudding rest 10-15 minutes so it firms up enough to slice cleanly while still warm. Spoon any extra brandied syrup from the pan over each serving so the boozy fruit remains the clear star.