Bread Pudding Is an Instant Breakfast Pot You Want to Make
The Instant Pot craze shows no signs of slowing down, and if you own one of the multicooker, you probably need it all. As we discovered earlier this week, some things (pancakes) are simply not pressure cooked . But a warm, sweet and donut-like bread pudding for breakfast? It’s not bad.
Why do I call it “bread pudding” and not “French toast casserole”? I suppose any name would do, but it lacks the crisp edges that I associate with the latter. (If you really want them, you can put this under the broiler for a few minutes, but I love the pasty, steamed pudding quality it has without it.)
Whatever you call it, this thing satisfies my need for a lazy Sunday breakfast that I can make, add an old IP, then crawl back into bed with a cup of coffee and forget about it for a while. I have two versions: a simple and sweet situation with a taste of classic French toast and a touch of orange liqueur; and a bacon-strewn, fortified whiskey product for those looking for salty and saccharin. Both make 3-4 servings, depending on your appetite. To make the first one, you will need:
- 1/2 loaf of challah bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 2 eggs
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- 2 tablespoons white sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons orange liqueur (I like dry curaçao)
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- Lubricating oil
Beat the eggs until the whites and yolks are combined, then beat the milk until the mixture is as smooth as possible. Add sugar and cinnamon. Grease a pyrex or small baking dish (anything that is pressure cooker safe and fits in your instant pot), add the cubes to the jar and pour the egg and milk mixture over the bread cubes, pressing down so that each small cube is submerged in water. Combine the liqueur and brown sugar in a microwave-safe bowl or mug and microwave at 30-second intervals, stirring in between until you have a bubbling syrup. Pour the syrup over the custard-soaked bread.
Add two cups of water to the Instant Pot and place the pot there. Cover your breakfast pudding with foil and place it on a rack. Close the pot, make sure the release valve is in the “seal” position, and cook at high pressure for 40 minutes, returning to bed while your breakfast is cooked. After cooking time, release pressure by hand, (carefully) remove pudding and serve hot with powdered sugar, maple syrup, or both.
This breakfast bread is simple enough (and delicious), but if you want to take your morning pudding to the next level, I suggest you add my two main Bs: bacon and booze. To make this morning meal more challenging, you will need:
- 1/2 loaf of challah bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 2 eggs
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- 2 tablespoons white sugar
- 6 strips of bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1/4 cup whiskey
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
Beat the eggs until the whites and yolks are combined, then beat the milk until the mixture is as smooth as possible. Add sugar. In a medium bowl, combine the custard and bread, pressing down so that each small cube is submerged in the water. While it’s soaking, place the bacon in an instant pot and turn it on by pressing the Fry function, using the Adjust button to make sure it is set to Normal. Fry the bacon until very crispy, then remove with a slotted spoon, leaving the fat behind.
Turn off the Instant Pot (it will stay hot enough), add whiskey and scrape off any burnt bacon meat with a wooden spoon. Add brown sugar and stir until you get a thick syrupy sauce. (Most of the alcohol should evaporate, but you just want to get rid of the harsh bites.) Pour the sauce into a small bowl or coffee mug or anything else that will hold the hot whiskey sauce securely, rinse the insert and pour in. two glasses of water.
Brush a pyrex or small baking dish with butter, add half of the custard mix and place half of the saved bacon and half of the whiskey syrup on top of it. Repeat this delightful process. Place the rack in the Instant Pot Rack, cover the breakfast pudding with foil and place on the rack. Close the pot, make sure the release valve is in the “seal” position, and cook at high pressure for 40 minutes. When the cooking time has elapsed, manually release the pressure, (carefully) remove the pudding and serve hot. Maple syrup can be added as needed, but all it really takes is some good butter and a cup of strong coffee. I am not saying that you also need to add whiskey to coffee, but I support this practice.