Full of fall flavors, this caramel apple butter bread pudding is comforting enough to eat whenever but elegant enough to serve for Thanksgiving dessert.For folks who are fans of apple desserts and bread pudding, this is one not to miss. And the shards of crispy meringue are very easy to make, provide some crunch to an otherwise smooth and creamy dessert, and add the wow factor that a special occasion dessert calls for!Serve this dessert with ice cream, or whipped cream, the crispy meringue, and some caramel rum sauce.
Course Custard and Pudding Recipes
Cuisine American
Prep Time 20 minutesminutes
Cook Time 45 minutesminutes
Meringue Baking Time plus Cooling Time 3 hourshours
1-2leftover cinnamon rollshoney buns, sweet rolls, sticky buns, apple fritters, donuts, etc. You'll want about 2 cups. cut up
⅓cupapple butterhomemade or storebought
For the Meringue Shards
2egg whites
heavy pinch salt
3.5ozabout 1/2 cup granulated sugar
¼teaspoonapple pie spice
¾cupschopped pecans
1/2-1teaspoonfinishing salt such as fleur de sel or other flaky salt
Instructions
For the Custard
Place the caramel sauce, milk, half and half, and a pinch of salt in a microwave-safe bowl.
Microwave for 30 seconds or so to melt the caramel sauce and warm the milk.
Whisk all the ingredients together until uniform.
Whisk in the apple pie spice, the egg, and the yolk. Set aside.
For the Bread
Spray a small baking dish or 4 ramekins with pan spray.
Cut up your cinnamon rolls or sweet rolls (whatever you are using as your bread) into roughly 1" cubes. No need to be exact.
Pack the rolls into the baking dish and slowly pour the custard over them.
Use a fork or a skewer to poke holes through the rolls to encourage the custard to soak in.
Press down on the rolls with a spatula to compress them so that when they "puff up" again, they'll draw in some custard just like a sponge.
Dot the apple butter all over the top of the pudding.
Cover with some plastic wrap and refrigerate while making the meringue shards (or overnight).
For the Meringue Shards
Set a rack in the center of your oven and heat to 250F.
Line a half sheet pan or cookie sheet with Silpat or parchment, and set aside.
In the bowl of your stand mixer, whip the egg whites together with the sugar and salt until foamy.
Add the spice and whip on high until the meringue reaches "frosting consistency." It doesn't have to be at stiff peaks, but you want it to hold its shape when you spread it out.
Spread the meringue in an even layer on your prepared pan.
Sprinkle the chopped nuts evenly over the meringue.
Sprinkle on some finishing salt.
Bake for 2 hours, rotating the pan halfway through baking time.
The meringue will still seem soft, but it will quickly crisp up out of the oven.
Allow it to cool for about 5 minutes, and gently work a long offset spatula under the sheet to loosen it from the parchment or Silpat. Slide it onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
Break the sheet of meringue into pieces. You will have much more than you need to serve 4 puddings, so snack on some if you want.
Seal in an air-tight container and leave at room temperature until serving.
To Finish and Bake
Place a half-sheet pan on the center rack of the oven and heat to 325F. (NOTE: You can line the pan with a kitchen towel for added insulation and to keep the water from splashing when you pour it in.
Bring a kettle of water (about 1 1/2 quarts) to a boil.
Take the plastic wrap off the refrigerated pudding and place the pudding in the center of the sheet pan.
Pull the rack out so it's easier to pour the water.
Carefully pour the boiling water into the larger pan to make a water bath.
Slide the rack back in and bake for 40-45 minutes or until the temperature in the center of the pudding is 160-165F.
Use two large spatulas to remove the pudding from the larger pan and place on a cooling rack.
Cool until warm (or cool then chill and reheat to serve).
For a dramatic presentation, serve in a pool of caramel sauce with a scoop of ice cream on top and 2-3 shards of meringue stuck into the ice cream.
Notes
Variations
Feel free to substitute other nuts or seeds for the pecans on the meringue.Switch up the spicing to use your favorites. I like apple pie spice, but pumpkin spice or even straight cinnamon will work. Or consider chai spices or even Chinese 5 spice.Use your favorite sweet rolls or sticky buns for the bready part of the bread pudding. Don't worry about fillings--they'll just add to the flavor of the overall dish.
To Store
Store covered in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave for a few seconds. For longer storage, wrap well in plastic wrap, freeze, and keep in freezer bags for up to 3 months.NOTE: Nutritional value does not include the ice cream and it factors in a whole sheet of meringue.