BY JULIE VAN ROSENDAAL
Hungry people to feed first thing in the day? No problem. Just prep a make-ahead meal like this richly satisfying panettone bread pudding.
I always seem to have a surplus of sweet breads — panettone, stollen and the like — in my kitchen throughout the holiday season. I learned this recipe for panettone bread pudding with warm marmalade sauce (which I bumped up with a bit of butter), from my friends and Canadian culinary icons Elizabeth Baird and Emily Richards. It’s perfect for assembling the night before — all you need to do is slide it into the oven in the morning. Even the marmalade sauce can be made ahead and rewarmed.
Serves about 8
Pudding:
- 8 cups cubed panettone or other fruited bread
- ¼ cup golden raisins or chopped apricots (optional)
- 5 large eggs
- 3 cups milk
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Optional: 1 Tbsp grated orange zest
Marmalade Sauce:
- ½ cup orange marmalade
- ¼ cup orange juice
- 2 Tbsp butter
- Pinch cinnamon
Spread the panettone cubes into a shallow, buttered 9- or 10-inch baking dish and sprinkle with the raisins. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla and orange zest (if using). Pour over the bread and let stand for an hour, or cover and refrigerate overnight. Remove from the fridge for at least half an hour before baking.
When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350˚F. Remove the covering from the baking dish, place it in the oven and bake for 45 minutes, until puffed and golden and a knife inserted in the centre comes out clean.
To make the marmalade sauce, warm the marmalade, orange juice, butter and cinnamon in a small saucepan over medium heat until the marmalade melts and the mixture simmers. Stir until well-blended and serve warm with the pudding.
