Irish Whiskey Bread Pudding

This is comfort food in it's finest, most simplest form. Bread in custard, with a crunchy sugar topping and a creamy boozy sauce.  I have died and gone to heaven.  This was lunch yesterday and will likely be breakfast and maybe even lunch again today.  I can't help it.  It's that good. 

I think I could make this recipe with my eyes closed and one hand tied behind my back.  And if I had to, I would.  It's been in my baking repertoire for quite some time and I have always loved it, and I know once you taste it, it will be in yours as well. Over the course of the last few years I somehow forgot how delicious this recipe is. To try and describe it in all it's lusciousness would be doing it a great disservice.  It begs, no needs to be experienced. So I won't try, but I will encourage you to make it. Not to worry if you don't have any Irish whiskey around either. It tastes pretty amazing with bourbon or cognac.  The only other piece of advice I have to offer is; Make this in a cast iron skillet. You can thank me later.

Irish Whiskey Bread Pudding with Sauce

1 15 oz. loaf Brioche, Challah or other egg bread, sliced in 1/2" slices

1/2 C. golden raisins

1/2 tsp. grated nutmeg

3/4 C. sugar

2 large eggs

1 1/4 C. heavy cream

2 C. low fat milk

1 T. Irish whiskey

1 tsp. vanilla extract

3 T. Raw  or coarse sugar for sprinkling

Whiskey Sauce

1 C. heavy cream

1/4 C. low fat milk

1/4 C. sugar

1 T. cornstarch

1/2 C. Irish whiskey, divided

1/4 tsp. salt

1 T. butter

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F or 180 degrees C.

Remove the crust from bread slices and butter one side of each slice. Place butter side down in a large cast iron skillet. In a medium bowl, combine the sugar, eggs, cream, milk, whiskey and vanilla.  Sprinkle raisins and nutmeg over the top of the bread slices and pour over the egg, milk mixture.  Lightly press the bread into the custard mixture, then sprinkle coarse sugar over the top.  Place in the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes until golden brown on top and the bread has absorbed the liquid.

While the pudding bakes, make the sauce.  In a medium saucepan combine the cream, milk and sugar.  In a small bowl combine the cornstarch and 1/4 C. of the whiskey.  Stir until the cornstarch is dissolved and add this to the milk mixture in the sauce pan.  Bring to a boil and whisk continually for 5 minutes until the sauce begins to thicken.  Remove from heat and add the remaining 1/4 C. whiskey, salt and the butter.  Whisk to combine and serve hot over the pudding.