Cherry Bread Puddings with Almond Brown Sugar Streusel

When I found myself with a stale baguette, a can of cherry pie filling and more milk than could easily fit in our fridge I knew that bread pudding was the answer to all of my problems.

I had a pot roast on the stove that I’d just spent quite a bit of time preparing, so I wanted something simple.  A few recipes involved a cooked custard base, but with my laziness I kept searching.  Oh, Paula Deen.  You sure do know how to make rich and delicious desserts with little to no effort.  You are dangerous, Paula.  No scalding of milk or tempering of eggs.  Just measure, whisk, pour and bake.  This recipe is plain and simple and so it was easy to adapt to what I wanted to do.  Here is her original recipe.

The original recipe is baked in a greased 9×13 pan, definitely the simpler option and what I would do if bringing this to a potluck dinner or a casual dinner.  But I wanted to make some individual puddings.  Paula doesn’t require a water bath for her large bread pudding, but I wanted to make sure there weren’t any issues with the texture or consistency, so I used a water bath for my individual puddings.

This is a great dessert to make for a dinner party because you can make them ahead of time and reheat them.  When you sit down for dinner or as people start to finish their meals, stick them in the oven and they are ready to go when you finish.

Cherry Bread Puddings with Almond Brown Sugar Streusel

Adapted from Paula Deen

Makes 10 individual puddings

Ingredients

For the puddings

  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 5 large beaten eggs
  • 2 cups milk
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract
  • 4 cups cubed stale baguette
  • 1 can of cherry pie filling (you will only use about half of the can)
For the streusel:
  • 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup sliced almonds
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 325°F.  Grease 10 6-ounce ramekins.
  2. Mix together granulated sugar, eggs, and milk in a bowl.  Add vanilla and almond extracts.  Pour over cubed bread and let sit for 10 minutes to give the bread time to absorb the liquid.
  3. In another bowl, mix and crumble together brown sugar, butter, and almonds.
  4. Using a 1/3 cup measure, pour a scoop of the pudding and bread mixture into each ramekin.  Then take about 1 tablespoon of cherry pie filling and plop it in the middle.  Use a knife to push the pie filling around in the ramekin without mixing it too much.  Top each pudding with some of the streusel.
  5. Using 2 9×13 pans or a large roasting, arrange ramekins so that they do not touch each other.  Have 4-6 cups hot water ready to go, I just used hot water from the tap.  No need to boil it.  Place the pans in the oven then pour hot water around the ramekins so that it comes up 1/3 to 1/2 way up the sides without getting any water into the ramekins.
  6. Bake for 40 minutes, remove from the oven and water bath and let cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes.  Refrigerate for at least an hour to let the puddings finish setting.  Serve cold or warm in the oven again for 15-20 minutes at 350°F.