Apple Bread Pudding and Salted Caramel Sauce

Bread Pudding is one of my favorite dessert treats, and since the make it on Chopped all the time, I figured it can't be that hard.  If they can throw one together in 30 minutes, why couldn't I?  I've made a few different variations of Bread Pudding, but I went with apples and caramel for fall because they are such classic Fall flavors.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.  I started by letting a loaf of tasty bread get a little stale, and then I cubed it up.  I forget what kind it was, something I picked up at Wegmans last week.  Throw it in a large bowl, and mix all of your wet ingredients together.  I used two eggs, 2 cups of heavy cream (you could do milk, I think, but come on, this is dessert, people!) a tsp. of vanilla, a pinch of salt, and a shake or two of cinnamon.  Then pour it over the bread, mix it together, and set it aside and let it meld for like 10-15 minutes.    

While you are waiting, peel, core, and chop up an apple.  Then mix it into your bread mixture, and pour it into either a baking dish, or I like to use my cast iron pot.  (Thanks, Beth!)  Bake it in the oven with a lid or covered for about 30 minutes, and then another 10-20 without the lid to crisp up the top.  

As it's baking, you can make your caramel.  Now, I will totally admit that the only reason I attempted to make my own caramel was because I just think it is so darn delicious that it was worth a go.  So craving beat intimidation, and I now know it's really not that difficult.  It's a little like Risotto (a big time favorite of mine) in that, you just can't walk away.  

Add the sugar

Start with a medium sauce pan over medium high heat.  Add 3/4 cup of sugar, a good pinch of sea or kosher salt, and about 2 tbs. of water. 

Stir until it is dissolved

 Stir them together until the sugar dissolves and then leave it alone, but stay close by!  Watch the sugar boil for about 3-4 minutes until it turns a tan/caramelly color.  Be patient.   

When it looks like the picture to the right, you are going to add a 1/2 cup of heavy cream slowly to your sugar.  It is going to bubble up, but just stir it in, and then turn off the heat. 





 

bubbling cream

removed from the heat

 You can then pour it into a small pitcher or measuring cup and cool it down in the fridge, which will thicken it up, as well.  Then when your bread pudding is ready, pull it out and pour it over your dessert!

Ok, now take your dish out of the oven, spoon some bread pudding into a bowl with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and drizzle the caramel sauce over top.  This dessert is SO yummy!  Enjoy!