Small-Batch Apple Bread Pudding with Salted Brown Sugar Sauce

Oh man oh man, is it ever fall and are we ever gonna be doing some serious fall baking, friends. It’s October, which means if it doesn’t involve apples, a gourd of some sort, or maple syrup, we’re not eating it. This is a very nutritionally sound decision, don’t worry.

Fall is also the season for gathering those you love a little closer (since, you know, people aren’t sweaty anymore and it’s tolerable to do so). There’s something about chillier weather that just makes me want to feed everyone I love, and pack a little more meat on their bones. And that, friends, is precisely brunch’s main purpose. This bread pudding is perfect for brunch– it comes in cute little individual servings, which means it’s a small enough portion to accommodate eating lots more delicious foods. (Which is, after all, the other main point of brunch.) It’s soft yet crunchy, sweet yet not too sweet, apple-y (…but not not apple-y, sorry for losing the phrasing pattern here). Topped with a really quick, easy-as-pie salted brown sugar sauce, it is just *finger kiss* divine. I also wrote the recipe to scale easily, so that you could make this in a larger vessel or for a bigger crowd, were you so inclined. Honestly I’m going to have to stop writing now, because we started talking about brunch and now all I can think about is how nice a cider mimosa would be alongside this dish and I have to go to the store to get some champagne. Happy Brunching!

Small-Batch Apple Bread Pudding

Makes 4 individual servings

• 1/2 loaf Brioche or Challah, torn into 1″ pieces
• 1 Egg
• 1/2 c. Heavy Cream
• 1 t. Vanilla
• 1 splash Bourbon, if you’re so inclined (I was)
• 1/4 t. Nutmeg
• 3/4 t. Cinnamon
• 1/4 t. Ginger
• Pinch of Salt
• 1 Apple, diced
• Turbinado Sugar (optional)
• Butter, to grease ramekins
• Salted Brown Sugar Sauce (see below)

Preheat oven to 300. Spread bread on baking sheet and toast in oven to dry out a bit, checking every few minutes (mine took 7). Set toasted bread aside. In a medium bowl, whisk egg, cream, vanilla, bourbon (if using), nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, and salt until well combined. Gently stir in apple and bread until cream mixture is evenly distributed. Set aside for a few minutes to soak (there shouldn’t be a lot of excess liquid, so don’t panic if there isn’t– I purposely wrote this recipe to move very quickly from prep to baking, so there won’t be a lot of moisture to absorb). Butter 4 small ramekins and place on a baking sheet. Evenly distribute bread mixture between the ramekins, packing down bread slightly as necessary, and top with a sprinkling of  sugar (if using). Bake for 20-30 minutes, until top is brown and crispy. Serve with salted brown sugar sauce.

Salted Brown Sugar Sauce (Food52)

• 1 c. Brown Sugar
• 1/2 c. Half and Half
• 2 T. Unsalted Butter
• 1/2 t. Sea Salt (to taste)

Combine all ingredients in saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly until sugar has dissolved and butter has melted. Adjust salt to taste.