mrjeffmccarthy.com

I’ve been through a lot with this bread pudding recipe.  I’ve done about ten different versions since I’ve been at Ten-01; and until a recent mishap, was about to give up on it.  I was trying to bake the pudding in a dome mold, trying to coax a new plate design out of this tired old custard soaked bread.  The flexible silicon molds produced perfect little domes, but they were all custardy near the top.  Also, the crusty upper region, the best part, was now on the bottom.  I fed one to Chef and he was not into it.  It got me thinking.  Like I said, the best part of this pudding is the top inch or so of dark brown crustiness.  So I cut off the part that was soggy custard, ending up with perfect round disks, perfect for sandwiching something.  I bet could achieve that same result by baking it in a thin layer in a sheet pan.  Hmmm…..I went back to the recipe’s roots to start a flavor profile.  When I learned it from Tony, it was Bourbon Bread Pudding.  Maker’s Mark glug-glugged it’s way into the custard once more.  I had made Butter Pecan ice cream the week before and it’s salty richness held up the bourbony pudding nicely.  Salted Caramel sauce also fit in well.  I’ve been experimenting with different tuile cookies lately, and  Lace Tuile made it into this presentation because of it’s simple light crunch.  I learned some new things with this dessert.  Firstly, that I can bake bread pudding in a thin layer and get great results.  Second, I can form freshly spun ice cream into a sausage and slice it at service, for a nice clean portion.  At first I made a plastic wrap tube a la Michel Richard, but after a quick chat with John our sausage maker, I was using collagen casings for my ice cream logs.  This dessert is selling like crazy, and is making the Chocolate Cake look so last year.  On the menu it reads Ice Cream Sandwich, and I think that really sells it.  It recalls childhood, a whimsical peek at the past.  Soaked in bourbon.  Learn how to make bread pudding here.  Make Butter Pecan Ice Cream and Lace Tuile with the recipes below.  Add salt to your favorite caramel sauce recipe.  Enjoy delicious sweets.

Butter Pecan Ice Cream adapted from Ben&Jerry’s Ice Cream Book.

8 oz butter

2 cups pecan pieces

1 tsp salt

4 eggs

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 cups heavy cream

1 cup milk

1.Saute the pecans in the buuter until the butter begins to browm slightly.  Sprinkle in the salt.  Strain off the butter and reserve.  Spread the pecans on a sheet tray to cool

2.Whip the eggs in a stand mixer until light and frothy, then add the sugar.  Whip on high to ribbon stage (4-5 minutes?)

3.Reduce the mixer speed to it’s lowest setting and pour in the milk and cream.

4.Transfer the mix into a blender and with it running, pour in the butter to emulsify.  I like to puree in some of the toasted nuts at this point as well.

5.Spin the mix in your ice cream machine, adding the nuts a few minutes before the ice cream is done.  Eat some immediately.  Using a pastry bag, pipe it into a sausage casing and freeze if desired.

Lace Tuile

8 oz butter

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 oz honey

1 oz brandy

2/3 cup flour

pinch of salt

1.  Cream the butter and the sugar in a stand mixer.

2.  Add the honey and brandy and mix to combine.

3.  Add the flour and salt and mix to form a smooth paste.  Spread thinly onto a non-stick baking mat and bake until golden brown in a 350 degree oven.  Mold while warm over a rolling pin.

My buddy David, a server at the restaurant, told me one day how he loved my bread pudding.  He told me it was as if a waffle had fucked a doughnut.  I don’t think he was pleased with my reaction to his verbal description, so he took it a step further and drew this illustration.  Thanks Dave, I’m glad you like it.